


Those strangers in the mirror

by NhamyRlha



Series: The truth inside [1]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, LGBTQ Character, LGBTQ Themes, Original Character(s), Other, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-20
Updated: 2020-02-08
Packaged: 2021-02-18 01:01:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 34,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21502684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NhamyRlha/pseuds/NhamyRlha
Summary: Niamh once dreamed of becoming a trainer, like many others. Traveling around the world with a loyal team of Pokémons to defy all the challenges they could meet.But that dream was short lived, as another, grander one took its place.But not all things are meant to work out. When all that is left of dreams are shattered pieces, and you are forced into a path that you tried to fight, is it even possible to see a way out on your own?
Series: The truth inside [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1549882
Kudos: 1





	1. When the customer is right.

"No I don't live here. I plan to. Would be easier to run the store. I'm making so much profit here." 

The Poke Store is themed with a soft but light blue, from the rows on which the products stands, to the walls, the ceiling, the displays, and even the tiles on the ground, although they alternate with white tiles. That clearly would have been too much blue to handle. Let's not forget the clerk, skin white as well, like half the ground of the store. To accompany their surprisingly blue shirt, mentioning with the greatest taste "Poke Store! The Poke Stop for all your Pokemania needs!". they are also wearing black pants, a blue and white cap, covering their dark blond, almost brown hair, oh! And sneakers. "What the customer can't see can't be prohibited." they say to themselves. 

They lean on their side, their shoulders resting against the wall near a screen on the counter, itself next to a register, itself next to yet another display of energy drinks for Pokémons. With their tired face, their green eyes turned red by lack of sleep, something also supported by the noticeable dark circles under them, and frankly monotone voice, it could seem like they aren't paying attention. But in reality, they are carefully following the above middle age man browsing the potion aisle on the cheap shaky screen, while answering his numerous questions. But for once, they are different, so they don't really mind. The man picks up a bottle of Full Heal® before placing it back. 

"Yeah, I figured that much. Would be surprising otherwise. But where do you live, then? This place is in the middle of nowhere. The nearest city is more than a two hours of walk away from here." The clerk snorts and giggles, crossing their arms as the man passes between two angles of cameras, his hands still in the ample pockets of his grey pants.

"Only about one hour and half-ish with a bike. Not the worst honestly. I'm not one to complain anyway. Especially not with the position I have here.” 

“Yeah, I heard of that. Only independent far beyond the outskirts of any city heh? How come?" They snort again. The man, still in the dead angles of the cameras, could not see the smaller one, hidden in the decoration of the display he was looking at, a row of Full Repeal®! "To take a break from all the Pokemania of the modern world!" This is not where other Poke Store would place those products, but they thought it would be a good irony that to place it right where thieves would instinctively go. A single button to press on the tactile screen and they can see this, oh! so friendly man pick up a couple of bottles, and even an extra one then walks back into the virtual line of sight of the clerk, but not before shoving the aforementioned bottles in his ample pockets. They smirk, but decide to play along. 

"Well for starters, no one wanted this place. Too far, no accommodations, and a dangerous path. So, when I proposed, and ask as only condition to be independent… They jumped on the opportunity." They pose, cross their arms and tilt their head, still staring at the screen, even though the man is now visible within their vision. "And second, how to pass this opportunity? So many trainers are forced to pass through here. It's one of the most dangerous paths around. Even experienced trainers dread this place. With a stop somewhere in the middle… It's suddenly much better." 

The man scoffs and looks over at the counter. "Smart. I was wondering when they would open one. But it's weird. You have no Pokémons guarding, don't you fear one of those "team" whatever might try to rob you? And you must be a hell of a good trainer no? I mean, you're basically taking half of the road every day." They snort again, breaking their focus on the screen to look over at the man, a clear disdain on their face. "Try to rob me? You think any of those incompetent could reach here? What a joke. No I'm pretty safe. People who come here are usually exhausted, and so are their Pokémons. Plus, the politics of the franchise may suck for employees, but they wouldn't leave their stock without protection."

The man raises an eyebrow at their words, but simply shrugs it off, going back to his monotonous and absolutely not guilty browsing of the shop. "That does not answer why you don't have Pokémons guarding here. I thought it was a norm now for the Poke Stores.”

“Oh it is. But I don't have to respect all the rules. And people prefer when there's no Pokémons skulking around." They stop for a moment, and take their attention back to the screen, focusing on the face of the man. "But above all else, I'm not a Pokémon trainer. So that's that." The man looks over at the clerk once more, his face all baffled this time. "Wh… What?"

He shakes his head and suddenly turns around. On the screen, they could see the triumphant smirk of the customer, causing them to smirk as well. "Well that's a surprise… How do you do that? I mean… I personally have my ride…" He takes his hand out of his pocket, pushes his red jacket, revealing a blue shirt underneath, and palps one of the poke balls attached to his belt. "But you? You mentioned a bike. Don't tell me you just book it every day?" 

The clerk giggles and shakes their head. "No, but that's a secret. I had to ask and pay trainers for escort at first. But soon realized there was another way. Plus I’d rather avoid giving money to trainers." They turn their head to watch the man slowly approach the counter. He smiles. "Color me surprised. You're clearly been doing well for yourself kid. Glad to see some of this youth chose to do something different than to be trainers. Honestly, it's ridiculous to see so many of them roaming the roads like that.”

“Won't state on that, they are my source of income.” 

“Ah...capitalism… What have you done of us?" The man says, while he reaches the counter, leans over it and crosses his arms on it. The clerk smirks 

"Filthy thieves it seems." The silence that follows is very close to being palpable. Both tenses up, but the clerk manages to still offer a calm and smirky appearance, when the man loses all semblance of assurance in the process. "What?" He smiles weakly, trying to appear somewhat calm. "Come on I haven't…” 

“You've seen the cameras. Come on man. I don't want to fight. Just pay what you owe and we'll forget about that."

The man frowns, sweat starting to appear on his forehead. He pushes himself off the counter and takes a few steps back. The clerk raises a hand, in which they hold a small casing. They press a button on it and an affirmative beeping sound resonates in the store, causing the man to look around in panic. "If you called the cops I'll…” 

“Don't be silly. The cops would take forever to come. As I said, I don't want any trouble. I just locked the door. You're not getting out. Just pay what you owe man. I'm willing to offer you a bottle for the nice talk even" They smiles widely. "Aren't I a sweetheart?" 

The man pulls both his hands from his pockets which still appear as full as with them in. One of his hands reaches for one of the Poke Balls on his waist and takes it off his belt. "Yeah you sure are. I'm not a thief! Let me out now or…”

“Well empty your pockets and if they, indeed, don’t contain 3 bottles of repel, you can go with a present on the house.” 

“Oh duck that!" 

He opens the ball nimbly with one hand, revealing a bright red glow inside. The clerk reaches under the counter, clenching their teeth. The light pours out of the ball and onto the ground, slowly taking form, and then, in a final red flash, the light fades, revealing a Typhlosion. The creature, first on all four, fire pouring out from its back, soon stands up to all of its 5’, making it slightly taller than both the man and the clerk, who looks up to the Pokémon impressed. "Well aren't you a big one." The man regains composure at this. "Don't be stupid. It's just a few bottles. You already said…”

“No, sorry. Not negotiable."

The man growls, and so does his Pokémon. "Tyyyyy…" The clerk smiles, moving both of their closed hands on the counter. They all stand in the heavy silence of a staring contest for a few seconds, until the man starts shaking his head. "Oh you asked for it! Typhlosion! Take that remote from him!”

“Them, please" The clerk replies as the Pokémon leans forward menacingly. They smile again, even as the tall Pokémon walks toward them. When their faces are but a few centimeters from each other’s, the Typhlosion raises an arm, seemingly ready to attack, but still somehow hesitating, the flames on its back increasing in intensity. 

"Here you go girl" The clerk simply says while they open one hand, revealing a small sphere. The Pokémon stops and looks down at the dark yellow sphere, then up to the human in front of her, confused. They smile. "It's some sort of candy. Make them myself. Made of rice, flour, eggs, and of course, berries. You like berries right?" The growls stops, replaced by a wide smile and a soft purr, soon cut short as her trainer yells. "What are you doing? Don't listen! It's probably poisoned!" The clerk shakes their head as the poor Pokémon takes a step backward, beyond confused. 

"It's not the first time, is it girl? Don't worry, it's not your fault. You know it's bad right?" The Pokémon stares at them, looks back at her trainer for a few seconds before looking at the nice human again. She nods. The man growls. "You ungrateful…" The clerk shakes their head once more. "You don't have to do that. And I would never hurt any Pokémon. Look." They raise the treat to their mouth and take a large bite out of it while smiling reassuringly. "Delishious! Want to try?" 

She licks her lips, staring down at the second hand of the clerk who opens to reveal a blue ball this time. She hesitates, looks at her trainer who shakes his head negatively with a renewed vigor. She turns back towards the clerk and carefully picks up the candy. First she raises it to her muzzle and sniffs it carefully. She then very quickly takes a generous bite out of it and blushes softly. "Tyyyyy!" She closes her eyes in delight, before finishing the rest of the candy with one wet gulp. 

The clerk smiles widely, giggling. "Not bad right? It's as good for humans as it is for Pokémons. You want more?" Her trainer opens his mouth but is cut short by a loud. "Thyphloooo !" As she nods furiously. They smile then lean and pull out a small basket of the same candy, made of different colors and shapes. "Such a good girl. You can have it. I'm just going to talk with your trainer, okay sweetie?" She nods happily, leaning on the gentle human and giving them an affectionate lick on their cheeks before walking aside to sit down, licking her own lips this time in anticipation. The man assists at the scene, his anger slowly flying away, especially as he notices his Pokémon being so friendly with a stranger. "H-how…" The clerk smiles. "No Pokémon can resist my candies. Now, care to pay?" 

The man sights, looking at the happy Typhlosion munching carefully and slowly on a purple star, and walks over the counter, taking his wallet out, defeated. "I'm… I'm sorry…” 

“I don't really care. You should apologize to her. She's probably feeling worse than you." He looks over at his Pokémon and sights. "You're right. I'm really sorry Typhlosion" She looks up and smiles, taking the time to swallow her bite before shaking her head. "Typho!" And immediately taking another candy. He sights. "I don't deserve her.” 

“You surely don't. So instead of just apologizing, make sure to be better in the future. Pokémons deserves better than to protect thieves." The clerk says, handing the man a recipe. He stammers at the harsh words, but doesn't protest, and takes the paper. "I'm so sorry… My… my Charizard hurt its wings on the way to the city. We were supposed to stop there for a few days…"

The clerk freezes in place, and slowly looks up at the man, their face torn between anger and pity. "What are you, stupid?" The man looks at them in surprise. "I don't…" They reach for the remote and press a button which unlocks the door with a louder beep. "Out. And show me your Charizard. Now." There is no place for question in their tone. They crouch behind the counter, soon emerging with a large white box. The man shakes his head, stammering. "I can't pay for…” 

“That's a problem for later. Out. Now." 

Holding the box under their arm, they grab the wrist of the man and walk him out. Typhlosion looks up, seeing her trainers being forced out and lets out a concerned. "Ty?" Just as they are about to head out, the door opening before two humans, the clerk turns around, smiling at the Pokémon. "It's okay sweetie. We'll be right back. Enjoy your candies." She smiles and nods, letting them both go while picking up another cady, in the shape of a moon croissant this time.

Once the door closes behind the duo, they release the man and give him an eerie look, before kneeling. They pose the box on the ground, unlock it and lift the cover, revealing several compartments filled with medical supplies, even potions. They carefully pull some out, settling them neatly on the ground, mumbling to themselves. "What were you thinking? Talking with me for so long while your Pokémon suffers in his ball? Stupid idiot." They stop, only to look up at the still confused man. 

"Well? Get them out! Stop wasting my time!" This shakes the man enough for him to snap out of his confusion, reach for another Poke Ball on his belt and open it. The red light this time takes much longer to pour out, weakly taking the draconic form of a Charizard. The poor creature appears after the familiar flash, laying on the ground, one wing carefully fold in, while the other twitches on the ground. The Pokémon looks at the man, letting out a painful whine. The clerk gasps, picks up the supplies and rushes at the side of the dragon. "You poor thing…" They reach for the creatures head but the Charizard immediately try to bite the clerk's hand, snapping it's teeth a few centimeters away from the human's fingers. 

"Calm boy, it's okay, I won't hurt you. Here." They pick out the same kind of candy from earlier, carefully presenting it at the muzzle of the creature. The Pokémon growls, but curiosity pushes him to sniff at the candy. He looks up to the clerk who smiles back at him, before opening his mouth weakly. The human places the candy on his tongue, motioning for the trainer to come closer. "What happened?” 

“Strong winds. It lost control. Hit a tree and…” 

“And you preferred to hide it and let him suffer, gotcha. Listen, you need to stay here and reassure him.” 

“I… O-okay… What are you going to…”

“His wing is dislocated. I need to put it back. The candy I gave him will help for the pain but it will still hurt." They lean toward the head of the Pokémon as the man sits in front of them. "You heard what I said right?" The Charizard answers with a painful whine again. "I know. But you're a big boy. You can take it right? Okay…" 

They move toward his shoulders and lean on the back of the Pokémon. They grab his wing, causing him to whine and squirm. "It's okay… It's okay… Stay calm, I'll make it quick I promise." The movements reduce but don’t stop. How long did he stay like this? The clerk wonders, placing their other hand near the junction of the wing and the blade bone. They fiddle with the wing, trying to align it with one hand, hearing the Charizard letting out a long complaint as well as the trainer gasping. "No please don't cry." 

In a growl, they manage to put the wing in the right position, shaking. "Okay I'm ready… Ready boy? One…" Before any can react, they use the weight of their body to push the wing back. And it does, in a painful and loud bone cracking. The poor creature arc his body, snatching his head out of the grasps of the trainer and roars to the sky in pure pain. The clerk immediately reaches for a Super Potion™, spraying it all over the darkened skin around the junction, trying not to be knocked off the Charizard with all his squirming.

But he soon calms down, letting his head fall against the ground. The clerk lets out a sigh of relief, still holding the wing. They lean forward, their hand barely reaching the head of the whining dragon. "It's okay… It's over… You'll soon feel better… You!" They add, looking at the man. "Over here, I need your help.” 

“Y-yes!" He gives a quick pat on the head of the pained Pokémon, before jolting up and rush over the clerk. "What do…”

“In the box. There's some kind of light ropes. Take one and help me fold his wing. Take a long one, we need to tie them both together." He nods, and walks over the medical bbox, searching around in it for a few seconds before running back with a white rope. The clerk nods, starting to sweat profusely, large dark stains appearing on their blue shirt, around their back and armpits. "Good. Keep it. Now grab the tip of the wing.” 

“Like that ?”

“Yes, now fold it… No! The other way! Do you even look at what you're doing?!” 

“Sorry!" 

It takes a few minutes for the two humans to manage to close the wing cleanly, mostly because of the clumsiness of the trainer. The clerk then looks over at the Charizard's head.

"You're doing amazing. Feels better isn't it?" He lets out a reluctant. "Chaaar…" Making the clerk smile. "Good. I just need one last thing of you. Can you get up please? It's not for long. You'll have more candy after that." Whether it is for the candies or not, he obeys and slowly gets up, shaking on his legs, his tail low on the ground. "Atta boy. Won't take long." This time they don't need to say anything, the man immediately hands the rope to the clerk. 

They smile and quickly unwrap it. Holding one tip, they launch the rest over the back of the Pokémon, quickly reach it and nimbly tie the two ends together, tight enough to prevent any accidental opening of the wings, but gently enough to avoid hurting the creature more than they already did. "There we go!" They walk over the head of the Pokémon, gently reaching to scratch his chin, without any attempt at biting this time. "You can lay down now." 

He immediately obeys, letting himself fall against the ground, he lets out a loud sigh of relief. He looks up at the smiling human, purring. The clerk giggles and pets his head a few times. "You're the best. Stay here, I'm going to get you some cand…" Before they can finish, the door of the store open, a worried Typhlosion walking out. 

She gasps at the state of Charizard and quickly walks to his head, offering him the remaining of the basket. The clerk smiles and shakes their head. They look over to the man. "You have amazing Pokémons you know that?" The man stares at them for a moment before sniffing loudly. "I… Yes I do… listen I can't thank you enough… What could I…” 

“Paying what you owe would be a good start." They state, walking over the box, slowly putting everything back in. "About that…" The man starts, but he's cut short. "You can't pay. I know. Come in. You have a credit card right?" They ask, passing before the man, the door opening automatically. They stand under the frame, waiting for the man to follow. He hesitates, looking back at his Pokémons, then nods. "Yes, yes I do. Why? I still can't…" He stops as the clerk simply ignores him and walks behind the counter to put the box back in place. 

"As an independent I can take credit. Give me your card. I'll postpone your payment to next month. By then you should be able to pay for four bottles right?" The man follows in, staring down at his feet, his face and almost bald skull of a bright red. "Yes, I promise I…” 

“Good. Your card now." The clerk simply says, holding out his hand expectantly. The man opens his mouth, but instead takes out his wallet, picks a yellow card and hands it to the clerk. They grab it, take a moment to look at it, and smirk at the Pikachu colored piece of plastic, but hold back any comment. Instead, they take a piece of paper and a pen, write something down, before plugging in the card in a reader. 

"Gérald huh ? Fancy. I'm noting down your name in the system. Next visit in one of our shops you'll have to a present à recipe from a Poke Center for your Charizard. If you don't you'll be fined and he can be taken away." They comment while typing. A printing machine powers on and spits out a sheet of paper. They pick it up and set it on the counter, and offer a pen at the man. "This is your invoice. You'll have one month to proceed the payment or you'll receive a fine. Again. Try to be smart this time." Gérald doesn't answer. He simply nods and picks up the pen, signing without even looking. The clerk take the pen and paper back, separate the later in two pieces, and hand one to the man who takes it. 

"Thank you. For what it's worth.” He mumbles, ashamed. 

“Absolutely nothing. I didn't do that for you. If it wasn't for your Pokémons, things wouldn't have gone as smooth." They lean again, pick up a paper bag and set it on the counter. "Talking about that, this is for them. Some extra candies." The man hesitates, then grabs it. But when he tries to pull, the clerk doesn't let go yet. "You better start taking better care of them. Got it?” 

“Yes… Yes I promise.” 

“Good." 

They let go. The man holds the bag close, looking back at the clerk, then turns around towards the exit. As he reaches the door, he stops and looks one last time at the person who just helped him. "What's your name?" The clerk scoffs. "Why? To tell everyone how horrible I am?” 

“No I…” 

“Niamh. My name's Niamh. Now get lost."


	2. The thrill of battle, for those who care at least

Niamh waits for a few minutes, checking the two cameras outside of the store to make sure that this Gerald was giving the candies as asked, while settling up the income of the day on their computer. They send them to the company right when the man pulls his Pokémons back in their respective Poke Balls and walks away, but not before carefully using a bottle of repel on himself. 

Niamh scoffs and frowns. "Pokeballs… Whoever made them deserves to spend some quality time in them. Seriously. No one would accept that for a human." They turn off their computer, then start to walk around the store, rearranging the aisles and putting new products where some were taken. "They should only be used when necessary. Not as commodity. But who cares?" 

Once done, they walk back to the counter, and unlock the door behind them. It opens on a large and high greenhouse, illuminated by artificial lights, providing all the additional nutriments to what the special foil mixed with fertilizer are already giving. 

They walk through a small but organized forest of berry trees, looking up and satisfied at the growth on the branches. This was the main attraction of their store. The special candies they spent most of their youth and school years on. Well-kept recipe, unique, and delicious for all. But mostly intended for Pokémons of course. They walk to the end of the greenhouse, pick up two bags, and open one that appears empty. 

Slowly and carefully, they pick several handfuls of berries from each tree, walking between all of them, finally leaving the room with a full bag. They drop the berries bag on the counter, only keeping the second while they use the remote to lock the entrance door once again, then walk across the store to a door leading to a storage room and labeled "Staff room. Employees only." They smirk as they walk in, thinking to themselves that they are the only employee anyway. 

In there, they begin to remove their duty clothes, shoes, pants and shirt, then fold them neatly before placing them near another pile of the exact same outfit. They walk over a mirror, dodging between several cartons of products, and take a look at themselves, especially at their chest, where a large and black binder is covering their breasts.

They sight and turn around, using the weird angle from the mirror in this position to unlock the binder, soon letting out a new sight of relief as it comes off, leaving gentle pressure mark on their pearly skin that they softly caress, before they walk back to their bag. "You do breathe better without it." Niamh comments with a smile. They open their bag and take out a new pair of socks, a grey tracksuit, and a pair of bra. 

Within a few minutes, they could be mistaken with any other Pokémon trainer. They take a moment to admire themselves in the mirror, remembering their youth and their first wonders at potentially becoming a Pokémon trainer. "It sure changed fast, didn't it?" They giggle, then walk back to their bag, looking at the bottom, they see the only Poke Ball they ever bought. _Just in case_ , they always tell themselves. 

They shake their head and close the bag, then sit down on the ground to put on their shoes and tie them. Once done, they head out. They proceed to do a final round in the store before they pick up the berry bag and the remote. They unlock the door and head out. Once the door closes back, they lock it once again, before walking around to the right of the store where a rectangle storage is bulging out of the building, equipped with two doors, maintained closed with a lock. 

Niamh drops their bag on top of it, take out a key off their bag, and unlock the door, revealing a beautiful black and blue mountain bike, apparently in perfect condition, the chain even glittering in grease. They roll it out and slide out the kickstand. They close the door, placing the lock back out, before they pick both bags and walk to the bike and its trunk. 

They open it and place in the berry bag before closing it carefully. They put the other bag on their back, and climb on the bike, removing the kickstand with their foot. They take a moment to stretch, then place a feet in one pedal, and starts rolling. 

The main advantage of this road is to be mostly straight and on the same level, even though one part of it does go through a pretty steep hill. It is bordered by an array of trees and vegetation in which Pokémons could happily proliferate freely. If it wasn't for the trainers of course. One of the counter effects of Niamh’s store is that now, more and more trainers go through there. But if it isn't them, it would be someone else, or at least that's what they tell themselves. 

Niamh closes their eyes for a moment, enjoying the soft wind created by their movement washing on their face before taking a soft turn. As per usual on roads like this, you could find many trainers, waiting to fight, others, trying to catch some of the Pokémons of this place, and finally, some to simply train. For this purpose, those roads usually have alternate path, not as safe, going through vegetation. 

Avoiding them always takes more time, but it also allows to avoid all of the aforementioned annoyance, and Niamh would clearly not complain about that at all. Nothing much usually happens on those trips, besides some challenge that they could obviously not accept since they don't really have any Pokémons. By now it has become a habit, every movement they need to do being carved into their muscle memory. More about instinct than anything really.

The minutes go by, their mind vacant and blank, letting their body in charge of everything. The sudden demand of effort asked by the hill in the middle of the route doesn’t even shake them. What does force them to snap out of their state, is a trainer, probably a teenager, who suddenly jumps in the middle of the road, waving his arms. 

Niamh blinks a few times in surprise before immediately hitting the breaks, their bike starts to chase left and right, forcing them to counterbalance, until finally reaching a stop, a couple meters away from the kid. Niamh takes a moment to breath before scowling in direction of the fool. "Are you mad? I could have…" 

But they're cut out when the trainer smirks, theatrically turns his cap around before pointing at the clerk with a defying finger. He’s dressed in hiking habits, short-sleeved vest, shirt, short, and heavy shoes with socks sticking out, most of it red, except for his black shirt, and bearing Poke Balls symbols, specifically on the collar of the vest. 

"We shared a look! You know exactly what that means! It's time to battle!" He reaches for his bag, takes out a couple of Poke Balls, and readies one. "But let me warn you, I never…” 

“Lost any battles yeah yeah… I know the sentences perfectly by now" Niamh says with a bored expression. They roll their bike on the side of the road, and pull the kickstand to climb off. "You just ruined it!" The kid says pouting, before raising a hand, recovering his spirit in no time. "It doesn't matter! You will eat the dust anyway! I choose you…” 

“Slow down Joe, I don't have any Pokémon." That stops him in the middle of launching the ball to the ground. "What?" He stammers, surprised and baffled, before adding in a whisper to himself. "My name's not Joe…" Niamh sights. "I don't have any Pokémons slowpoke. Unless you want to battle the wind, put those balls back where you got them" They state, smiling at the confused kid, opening their own back and taking out a bottle of water. They drink several sips from it, before they set it back in, and pull out a small lunch box in. "By the way, I don't need your agitation right now. If you continue, you'll find other trainers.”

“W-what?”

“In other words, choo. You're just going to annoy me.”

“H-hey!" The kid, still holding his two Poke Balls in each hand, walks over Niamh with an angry forwn. "I'm not anyone, girl! I just beat…" His voice dies under Niamh’s glare. "I'm not a girl. And I'm not going to fight you. You'll just waste time with me, so just go, alright?" They sight and turn around toward the trees and dense grass. The kid jumps in front of them once again. "Hey! I though you said you have no Pokémons! You can't go in there!" Niamh let's out an annoyed sight. "Look, it's nice of you to care so much, but…" 

A Kricketune choses this exact moment to walk out from the trees, warning rattling coming from their belly. The boy smirks, turns around and places himself between the Pokémon and Niamh. "Do not fear! I'll protect you! Be ready to witness…" His voice dies once again as Niamh walks past him, moving toward the seemingly aggressive creature. They smile. "Hey it's okay, he won't do anything. How are you? Is your son better?" They ask while sitting down in front of the Pokémon. 

The Kricketune gives one warning look towards the boy, before jumping into Niamh's arms. "Woah mama! You sure are happy!" They say giggling, while wrapping their arm around the Kricketune. "I take it that he's better. Mind calling everyone? I got food for them all. And I better check on him, just to be sure." The Pokémon moves away after receiving a few pats, and nods happily, walking back into the forest. 

"What was that?" Niamh almost jump when they hear the voice of the kid again. They turn around to see him still holding his Poke Balls. "What was what?” They ask, an expression of clear exasperation on their face. 

“That! Why did it not attack you?” 

“ _She_ did not attack me because I don't plan on harming her.” 

“How would it know that?” 

“Because I don't think about it, because I want to help, and because I already helped her before." He shakes his head, frowning as if thinking about it is painful to him. "I don't get it! Feral Pokémons are supposed to be dangerous!" Niamh sights and shakes their head. "No. They are only being careful because they’re scared of trainers. That's you by the way.” 

“Why scared of us?" Niamh raises one of their eyebrows in answer. He blushes. "Okay that's a stupid question. But what to you plan to do now? Catch it?” 

“Oh whoa! You're not really smart are you? I told you I am here to help her.” 

“Help it about what? They are feral!” 

“Help her because a few days ago a trainer battled her youngest son and _destroyed him_. Rings any bell?" They add in a frown. He blinks a few times. "You're weird." Niamh simply shrug at this. 

Soon, the Kricketune comes back, carrying two Kricketot on her back, accompanied with a second Kricketune. Niamh smiles at them. "Hi all. You look fine!" They start taking several lunch boxes out of their bag, placing them in front of the Pokémons. "Here you go. Can you take them to all who need them? I'll get them back tomorrow morning. Same place?" The two Kricketune nods, while their two children jumps down. 

They both rush towards Niamh, jumping into their arms and causing them to fall back and burst out in laughter. "I missed you too! I missed you too!" They start petting the two happy Pokémons while they both lick Niamh's face, letting out happy clicking. "Yes! Okay! Okay! I love you both! Yes! Ha-ha… Calm down!" Still laughing, the two climbs down, and sits on Niamh's lap. They smiles at them and pets them both. "You two are looking well. I guess you want some advance?" 

They both nod vigorously. Niamh takes one of the box and opens it, taking out two snacks and giving each one. They grab on it and start munching happily. Niamh leans on the one on their left leg, carefully looking at their back. They then look at the other Kricketot. "Sweetie, would you mind helping your parents? I need to take care of your little brother." They say, taking a candy out of the box before closing it. The Pokémon nods and jumps up, gives a final lick on Niamh's cheek before picking up the box and leaving, soon disappearing behind the line of trees. 

The remaining Kricketot looks up at the human and lets out a few happy sounds, then looks behind them, and rattles at the still present and confused trainer. Niamh smiles down at the child. "Don't worry, he won't do a thing. How about you lie down and let me look at you?" He nods and jumps on his belly, bouncing on Niamh's tights in the process. They giggles, then pass à careful hand over a large, yellow scar, barring almost all his back. 

The trainer looks over and gasps. "What could have done that?" Niamh doesn't even looks back at him as they take a potion out of their bag and carefully apply it over the scar. "Many Pokémons could have done that. The question isn't that, but rather who gave the order to the Pokémon." 

The trainer blushes deeply, and looks away. "Feral Pokémons fights in the wild. What makes you so sure it's not just that?" Niamh growls, then look back at him. "Pokemon hunt each other to survive, true. The problem is, they don’t have a predator here, so only trainers could have done that." Their voice is low and menacing. He looks further away, clearly avoiding their gaze now. "I get it…”

“No you don't, because in five minutes you'll be back into battling. Not even caring about the consequences. But please, do that elsewhere. There are families living here. Leave them alone. It's already hard enough for them." He growls as well. "You talk like it's easy to be a trainer! I…”

“I don't care about you, or any trainers, isn't it clear?" He opens his mouth, but prefers to close it. Niamh frowns, then turns back to the Pokémon, while picking some unguent from their bag and slowly applying it on the scar. "Hearing you whine while all you do is forcing other innocent creature to fight for nothing… What a joke. Go duel someone and knock out the few brain cells you've got left will you? When a Pokemon hurts or kills another during hunting, it’s called a natural cycle. When trainers hurt Pokemons, it’s call disturbing their natural environment. Not that you could tell the difference anyway." 

He opens his mouth again, but instead of trying to answer, simply walks away down the hill. They sight. "Good riddance… And you pretty boy are doing better than ever!" They state, picking the Kricketot up, smiling at him before landing a kiss on his forehead, then setting him down. They pick up the candy from earlier, and hand it to him. "There you go. Get your family now, and stay close to them alright?" He takes the candy and nods, letting out a few happy clicking at Niamh. They smile and rub his head. "Little cutie. Now go!" He nods again before turning around and disappearing in the grass between the trees. 

Niamh gets up, dust their clothes with both hands, and smile at the trees, before turning their head down the hill. Their smile dies on their face. In silence, they close their bag, and climb back on their bike, removing the kickstand before rolling away. There are days they would love to be able to do more than this, some attention and a few treats. 

They wish they could open some eyes about the ravages trainers are doing to the Pokémons and their natural environments. But who would care? People love those fights. From small arenas in village to enormous stadiums for worldwide championship, Pokémons are used everywhere, like tools. 

Like soldiers. 

They look down, hit as usual with the bitter taste of hypocrisy. Despite all their beautiful words and intentions, they participate into this sick system, selling everything those trainers may need. Niamh sights, while shaking their head. No point in beating themselves up anyway. They didn't want this in the first place. When they'll be able to, they'll change it. Yes. That's a good plan isn't it? They look up at the rapidly darkening sky. "But when? It can't come soon enough. It really can't" 

Eyes back on the road, they sight again, allowing their mind to wander into the world of possibilities while their body takes control of the bike. Around them, the landscape scrolls away in a blur. They dodge trainers and obstacles by reflexes, not even taking the time to answer their usual provocations. Not wanting to also. Time always flies in those conditions. Before they even realize, the city slowly appears in the distance while darkness lazily but surely wraps around them, the light of civilization already shining and illuminating the outline of the city, almost like a protective hallo. 

Shaking their head, they regain control of their limbs, carefully slowing and keeping themselves on the cyclist tracks besides the road. Starting and ending their shift at such extreme has for advantage to allow them to skip most traffic and other usual annoyance from such metropolitan places. But even then, this particular city isn't really the kind to be qualified as such, closer to a big village than anything else. 

Niamh takes a few turns before they slow down in front of a large and tall apartment complex. They stop the bike by the door and unmount it. They pull the bag from their back and open it, searching inside for a few seconds before pulling out a set of keys and a key card. With the later, they unlock the large double glass door, pulling the bike in the hall with them. They stop at the 4th door in the small hallway, ignoring both elevator and staircase, and use another key from the batch to unlock and open the simple wooden door, flipping the light switch inside by reflex. 

The apartment is beyond simple and small. One convertible couch and bed, in bed position, the sheets still wide open, in front of it, a very small and simple kitchen, a fridge, oven, gas, sink, and a tight space in between to work with. Right next to the entrance is a door leading a small bathroom. Shower and toilet. That's all. Barely any space to move at all. And finally, next to this door, a large desk with a desktop computer and two screens, all of it covered in a thick layer of dust. 

They take a look at the sink, sight as they realize that it is still as full as yesterday, but feeling very little motivation to clean in any measure. They place the bike against a wall in the entrance, and open the storage to take out the berries bag. They carry it toward the kitchen, then pull and open a foldable chair from a corner. Setting the bag on it, they open both it and the fridge, and pull out a compartment, itself divided into smaller ones. 

Niamh carefully unloads the bag into it, separating the berries by colors, before putting it back into the fridge. Making the candies and snacks they were using isn’t hard, but usually ask for some prerequisite, such as using cold berries and having some paste rested for at least a day. They walk over to the sink, looking at a large bowl covered with a cloth. Lifting it reveals some yellow paste. They smile. _Everything will be ready for tomorrow_. They think, as they move back to the fridge. 

Upon opening it once more, they sight, suddenly taken aback by a sinking feeling of lassitude. No food. No human food to be precise, was ready. They close the door and look over at the full sink. They smirk. "Outside or pizza?" They ask out loud, as if anyone other than themselves could answer. One look at the trash bin, sporting pizza’s covers sticking out makes them decide. "Outside it is." 

A large smile on their face, the backpack still hanging on their shoulders, they pick up their keys and walk out of the apartment, close and lock the door, before heading out into the outside world. They hesitate for a moment as for where to go, but settle for a very simple restaurant that proposes some of the best burgers, at least in their opinion. 

All around them in the slowly cooling streets, people passes them by, a few cars drives around. Lots of talk about diverse subjects, mainly Pokémons, and a tournament approaching soon, but overall, no agitation. That's good. It takes them around fifteen minutes to reach the place, a small restaurant, more resembling a pub, with a tight outside terrace. They chose an empty table for two, and pull the chair, deciding that outside would be good for today. The night sky, the relative calm of the streets, and the sweet coldness taking place around them will fit perfectly. 

They pull out their phone and start to take notes while waiting. They record the treatment of the Charizard earlier, as well as about the recovering of the young Kricketot. A few minutes later they hear someone approaching. Naturally assuming it must be a waiter, they take a few seconds to finish their sentence, then put the phone down on the table. They hear the chair in front of them being pulled, and as they look up, it's not a waiter, but a woman, seemingly of the same age as them, wearing a white lab coat over an Evee shirt. 

The woman sits down, smiling. "Hi Niamh. Has been a while." To which the concerned simply sights and leans back. "I knew I should have picked pizza."


	3. And why not?

The woman giggles and passes an arm over the back of the chair, crossing her legs. "Oh come on, I'm not so terrible, am I?" Niamh sights again, then smirks. "You're not the worst Amelia. That's the best you'll get from me." Amelia rolls her brown eyes, and shakes her head, her black and detached mid-long curly hair floating around in the motion, matching perfectly with her darker skin. 

"Looks like active life hasn't really done any good to your attitude." She states. Niamh smiles. "Being my own boss does not exactly help about it." Amelia starts laughing, soundly landing a hand on the table, the laugh slowly growing louder, causing Niamh to raise one eyebrow. "Looks like I could also be a comedian. Care to explain?" They ask. Amelia nods, trying her best to calm herself down, suffering from some hiccups before finally being able to talk. 

"Yeah sorry… I only heard of you by my father." Niamh raises their second eyebrow, both annoyed and surprised. "From the old doc? I haven't seen him recently." They add. Amelia shakes her head. "That's because he, himself, learned from your mother" Niamh opens their mouth, then close it, repeating the action a couple of times. The woman smiles. "You look confused?” 

“Well I'm not sure how to react at the implications of this sentence. Why exactly does your father still go visit my mother? He was already spending way too much time at home while I was studying with him...”

“Oh come on, it's only normal.” 

“Not without a shirt it's not.” 

“That's just part of his charming personality.” 

“You know what? You say that but I don't believe you.” 

“Did you ever saw him once with a shirt?” 

“I… Okay, you got me there. Still weird though." They look at each other for a few seconds, before bursting into laughter in unison. After several minutes of hilarity, Niamh shakes their head, and lean forward on the table, placing both arms on it. "Okay, let's pretend your dad isn't after my mother's bum, I bet you must have heard such shining stories about my life's choices." 

Amelia shakes her head, smirking and wiping a tear with her hand. "Oh yes. Your mom isn't the greatest fan of yourself. That can't be only from stopping your studies right?" Niamh shrugs and takes a deep breath. "That, leaving home for a ridiculously small apartment, coming out, and taking a post at a Poke Store. Oh, and count in the half hour of truth spoken words I offered her as a goodbye." Amelia chuckles, leaning on the table as well. 

"That explains that. From her words, you're wasting your life being a clerk and using incorrect grammar to refer to yourself." Niamh scoffs and smirks, rolling their eyes. "Of course. For the record, I'm the owner of the shop. And independent. And about to build a house around it. I'm not doing too bad I believe." They brag. Amelia whistles, her eyes opening in surprise. "Sounds good. Surprising, but good.” 

“Surprising?” 

“You know what I mean."

Short silence after those words. Both keep smiling, even though they don’t look as sincere, before leaning back against their chair. Amelia takes out her phone, unlocks the screen expectantly, then sets it down on the table with a frown. Niamh giggles. "Waiting for someone?" They ask. She nods. "Yes, but looks like it's another bummer.” 

“Date?” 

“Yeah. Maybe another trainer that hoped to get some free stuff from me.” 

“Classic. I can replace them maybe?" Niamh proposes with a smirk. Amelia nervously laughs out loud at this, slamming her hand on the table again. "You? Ah ! You don't swing that way." Niamh smiles, and pass a hand in their short hair, crossing their legs like their friend before stating. "Oh I swing in all the ways baby." Amelia seems to choke as she hears those words, covering her mouth with a hand. "That's a lie right?” She asks.

“Yup. And a blatant one." She snickers, biting at her lips. "You're the worst. You know that?”  
“Keep saying it and I might just remember it." Niamh teases. Vibrations suddenly shakes the table. Amelia picks up her phone again, taking a look after unlocking it. "Yup, it's a bummer." She tosses it on the table, crossing her arms, visibly annoyed. "Well… Looks like I won’t have any fun in the end." Niamh giggles. "Boy or girl?” 

“Girl of course. By the way, do you count as both now? Or none?” 

“Joker. Want to eat with me?" Amelia frowns. She looks away before she lets out a hesitant. "I don't know.” 

“Come on, it's been a while. I'll pay.” 

“Oooh! Feeling generous?” 

“Feeling hungry mostly to be honest. I've been generous enough for the day. But I guess I can make an effort for you. See it as prevention if your dad ever gets what he wants." Amelia opens her mouth, but the words stays stuck in her throat, choked by another laugh. "Okay. Fine. Let's eat some disgusting burgers.” 

“Hey, they are pretty good here.” 

“Did you ever ate a bad burger?” 

“Yes, the one you tried to defrost back at your place.” 

“What do you mean tried to defrost? You can't exactly fail at that.” 

“I guess you're special then?" An extra voice suddenly joins them, causing both to blush as they turn toward the waitress that none saw coming. "Well we don't have any frozen burgers, but if we had they would be delicious." She says, smirking, handing a menu to Amelia. This one looks up to the waitress, unable to answer, staring rudely in the blue eyes of the tall and well-built girl who simply giggles, and lay down the menu in front of Amelia. 

She turns to Niamh with a complicit look. She's around nineteen, freckles all over her rectangular face, a bun made out of her ginger hair standing proudly on the back of their head. "Rare to see you here with someone Nia. The usual?" Niamh shake their head, smirking back. "Hey, don't make me look for more than the fat-ass I already am. That's Amelia. An old friend. We grew up together. I think she likes you.” 

“I think so too." She answers, looking back at the black girl who suddenly snaps out of her state. "Wait! You know her Niamh?" She immediately blushes again, then looks up at the waitress. "S-sorry, I was just surprised that's all." The ginger girl giggles and takes a step back, crossing her arms and letting her eyes wander up and down the figure of the flustered woman. "You're cute when you're surprised. I'll let you choose. Niamh?” 

“I'll take any daily special you'll have.” 

“In a menu?” 

“Please, is that even a question?" The waitress giggles once again before pulling out a notepad, quickly scribbling something into it. "Fries as usual I suppose. Any drinks?” 

“Just water for me, thanks. Melia?" Niamh asks with a devilish smile. The concerned blushes and nods, having opened her menu to hide her face in. "I'll take some white wine… And same as Niamh for the…” 

“We have a fish special if you want. Salmon. I recommend." This blocks Amelia for a few seconds. She looks up to the waitress in surprise. "How did you…” 

“Just a hunch" She answers with a delightful smile, causing the poor Amelia to blush even more. She simply nods. "Thanks ma'am." The waitress leans in, picking up the menu back. "In a menu?” 

“N-no thanks…” 

“Very well, I'll be right back with your drinks." She stands up and turns around, walking back toward the establishment, but not without pausing and turning toward Amelia, to add in a wink. "It's miss by the way." Before disappearing inside. 

Amelia stares at the entrance for a few seconds, before suddenly turning toward a giggling Niamh who leans forward over the table. "Did she tingled your wrinkles?" She takes a deep breath. "What's her name?" 

“Why don't you ask her?” 

“I'm serious Niamh!” 

“Me too Melia. She doesn't bite. Not that I know of at least. You should be safe honestly." They giggle as the face of their friends turns into an alarming nuance of red. "Why didn't you tell me?" Niamh smirks, lean back against their chair, place a hand on the table, gently tapping their fingers over the metal surface. "How was I supposed to know your taste?” 

“Bullcrap! You know my taste perfectly well! She's… What's her name? Please I… " Niamh moves up slightly from their seat, and gently tap the nose of their friend with two fingers. Amelia stops right there, only now realizing that she is almost standing up. She falls back on her seat, coughing silently. Niamh smiles at her. "Your crush's name is Lydia. She's very sweet.” 

“Is she…” 

“You'll have to ask her yourself dear. That's not my job." She takes another deep breath, and nods. "You're right." She looks over at the open door of the restaurant, then smile, slowly building back her confidence. "Looks like this trip won't be as much of a waste as I though." Niamh smirks, then leans forward on the table, seeing in the corner of their eyes Lydia coming back and carrying a tray. "Talking about this, what are you doing here? You live pretty far don't you?" Amelia opens her mouth, but noticing the waitress stopping at the table, says nothing. 

Lydia carefully picks up the water and the wine one by one, placing them in front of each of them. Amelia looks up at her, smiling. "I'm really sorry for earlier. It won't happen again. Thank you." She spoke a little too fast for it feel really natural, but it is certainly progress. The waitress smiles back, raising an eyebrow. "You're welcome. But I wouldn't count on that.” 

“Why w…” 

“I finish soon. You're not from here. Want me to show you around a little?"

Amelia's mouth opens, but again, no sound comes out of it. She shakes her head and giggles. "I would love that! I did not look for any place to stay so… That would be really helpful." Lydia giggles back. "It would be a pleasure. Glad to see you've got your cognitive functions back. Your meals will be here shortly." 

She says before turning around and disappearing inside once again, while Amelia quite literally devours the ginger girl with her eyes. Niamh shakes then tilts her head. "So, no hostel or anything? You counted on you date to provide you?" She looks back at them, nodding. "Indeed. Might as well join duty and pleasure.” 

“I usually hear the opposite, but fine. And what is this _duty_ you're talking about?" Amelia giggles and tilts her head as well. "Well you of course." She simply states. This raises an eyebrow on Niamh's face. "Me? What? Is it because of what my mother said? I already told you it's all lies.” 

“Almost all. One truth stands. You're wasting your time." She points out. They frown and cross their arms. "Thanks. I love your support. What makes you say that exactly?" They inquire. Amelia sights then looks up at her friend with a sorry expression. "Working in a Pokeshop? Really? You?” 

“What is that supposed to mean?” 

“Oh come one now Niamh. You're not that stupid! You despise them. You despise everything that has to do with trainers.” 

“Thanks, I almost forgot about that part. Anything else?” 

“Can you cut the sarcasm for five minutes? How can you, of all people, work there? Did you suddenly stop caring?" Niamh clench their teeth. "Careful there. You're walking on some damn thin ice.” They warn Amelia.

“Then why? 

“Because I didn't have any other choice. I know a lot about Pokémons, and I had this opportunity. I had to t…” 

“Oh don't give me that! You had another choice. Finish your studies with my dad. With me. Why?" They squint their eyes, taking a moment of silence before answering. "I'd rather not tell. As much as I don't care I don't want to hurt you." Amelia scoffs, raising her arms. "Hurt me? Are you listening to yourself? I’ve failed the test two times already, and I do not pity myself! One fail and…” 

She is cut by a cough coming from Lydia who once again managed to get to the table without any of them noticing. Her eyes alternate between the two of them. "Is everything okay?" Niamh looks up at her and leans back, smiling. "Yeah, yeah don't worry, we have a lot to catch up.” 

“You're a terrible liar Nia.” 

“I know. Don't worry. Hopefully it won't spoil your date with her." Amelia blushes deeply at this. "It's not a date!" To which Lydia giggles. "It very much is. But we can call anyway you like sweetie." She skillfully serves them both, with a bonus wink for Amelia who smiles weakly, all flustered. As she stands back up, Lydia gives them a worried look. "You're sure it's fine? I don't really like conflict." Nham sights, and moves their chair closer to the table. "Sometimes conflict is necessary. It's fine. You trust me, right?”

“Of course not.” 

“As expected.” 

“I'll leave you then. If you make her cry I'll break you in half.” 

“Who said I would dislike that?" They answer playfully, before turning a serious face towards Amelia. "Let's not continue this way. Just tell me what you're here for and let's get over with it" They ask, almost in a growl. She waits for the waitress to disappear again before answering. "No, you don't get away that easy. Tell me. Tell me why you didn't finish your studies with me. You had such good ideas. Why stop there?"

Niamh clenches their teeth again. "I don't want to tell you. You don't need to know my entire life story Amelia.” 

“I need to know to be able to help you!” 

“When did I beg you for help? Do tell, because I forgot in which chapter it happened!" Silence. Amelia speaks again, slowly. "You need help. Whether you like it or not.” 

“No I don't. I'm doing well. I have plans.” 

“You're not happy.” 

“Woo! We have a genius here. Of course I'm not.” 

“Then why don't you do something about it?" Niamh let's out several gagging noises, their crisped hands reaching for their face in a vein attempt to calm themselves. "In what world do you live? I am working on it! Every day that passes, every time I get up in the morning and go to work it's a step closer to what I want! There's no magic you know? I need to work. To get money. To buy stuff, and incidentally eat and survive! 

“But what would you know? Your asshole father is all famous and rich! Since when did you _have_ to work for anything in your life? When were you ever _forced_ to do anything?" They are left breathing heavily, letting their arms falls along their side. Amelia is blushing, looking away. The silence between them survives for several minutes until Amelia breaks it while raising a hand to replace her hair. 

"That's supposed to be the moment where you apologize." Niamh sights, pulls their plate closer, take one fries and shove it in their mouth. "We're not in a movie, Melia. I meant what I said. I never hid that to you." Amelia clenches her teeth. "That never bothered you during our studies that my father was providing for you." Niamh closes their eyes and let out a heavy sight, doing their best to keep their voice at a stable level. 

"It did. My mom pushed me into it. Both her and you were trying to convince me it was okay. It never felt okay." They explain as they pass a hand over their face, before throwing their head back. Amelia looks up to them. "So that's why you left? You didn't want to be privileged?" They lean forward. 

"No. There's no wrong in being privileged like that if you're going to use it for good. The reality is that my ideas never mattered to anyone except myself. Being able to pay things for myself is only a bonus." They blatantly state before eating another fries. Amelia looks down. “Your ideas are good. I really believe that.” Niamh sights, then finally add. "I'm not sorry for what I said. I am sorry for yelling though.” 

“Apologies accepted.” 

“Thanks. Now, what do you want to help me with? Because if it's money, it's a no. And if it is to propose me a place, then even less." Amelia takes a deep breath then sights. She crosses her arms on the table and places her head on them. She says, under her breath, almost in a whisper. "I never approved what he did at your thesis." Silence. Niamh looks away. "I know. It's not your fault." Amelia shakes her head. "I should have said something.”

“It wouldn’t have mattered. And it's fine.” 

“It's very much no…” 

“It is. It taught me a lesson. You don't matter. _I_ don't matter. Normal people like us don't _matter_. We either agree with what someone decided ages ago, or we're wrong, weird, freaks. Amusing at best.”

“Niamh…”

“Tell me I’m wrong. Tell me that you don't care. You love Pokémons too. I dare you to tell me you're okay with all this.”

“I'm… I'm not sure.” 

“Well that's progress if I ever saw one.” 

“Hey it's not easy okay? I grew up with the idea that Pokémons _love_ fighting. Like you.” 

“Yes. Like me. And yet I saw through it. Why only me? Why so little people care? And why does none dare to take a step?” 

“Probably for the same reasons you mentioned earlier.” 

“Exactly. It's a vicious circle. A cycle that never ends. It's sick. It makes me sick. Every day. Having to smile to those… I don't even know how to call them. To give them what they need. But it's necessary. It's the best I can do. It's all I can do." They look down and hide their face in their hands, sniffling a couple of time, before pulling their hands away. 

"I am not special Emilia. I'm no one down there. The best I can do is… Try. Trust me I wish I could do more. But I can't. Not yet. The truth is… I never mattered. Never will. I try to hold to my objectives… But the more time passes, the more I see the clock ticking. I am only one. One human. One human… simply can't change the world. That only works in stories and movies." 

Emilia scoffs and lifts her head. "You really have the words to put me in the right mood for my date." Niamh giggles at this. "Sorry. Never been good with humans." 

“But you're good with Pokémons." Emilia states. They roll their eyes in a sigh. "There's many people good with Pokémons. I'm nothing special." Niamh says. Emilia giggles. "Sure. Dixit the girl… Sorry, the one who rescued a Pokémon in a forest without any of their own." Niamh shrugs at her words. "I can't be the only one who did something like that.” 

“Maybe. Maybe not." She reaches for her pocket and pulls out three Poke Balls that she places on the middle of the table. 

Niamh looks at them, then picks another frie before calmly stating. "You better not be asking me if I want to become a trainer because, I swear, I will throw my perfectly edible and particularly delicious looking burger, at your face." 

Amelia pushes herself back up, taking a deep breath. "You need a Pokémon." Niamh looks up at their friend, raising an eyebrow. "I have many of them thank you." Niamh let’s out. Amelia squints her eyes, causing her friend to raise their hand as if surrendering. "Hey it's true okay? I take care of a whole bunch of them on the road to work”.

“The beginner killer?” 

“Yep. They need help with all the trainers ravaging it now that I opened the store." Amelia opens her mouth, then closes it several times. Niamh sights. "I know. But that's the best I can do for now. Believe me I can't wait for that to change. And…” 

“How much time does it takes you?" They stop, looking back at their friend with surprise. "How much time does it take you? Every day? You say you care for them. How?" Amelia repeats. Niamh frowns, trying to see where their friend were getting at, but unable to. "Medical assistance if necessary, attentions, and foods. Lots of the latter.” 

“Attentions? They are fer…” 

“Finish that sentence and you'll need to order a salad. They _need_ affection, as much as any other. If you can you should come with me one day.” 

“Would I get threatened again?” 

“Can't make any promises. But anyway, I don't need any Pokémons. I have a lot to take care of already.” 

“I respectfully disagree.” 

“Funny, when you say that, I hear…” 

“I don't care." She sights and moves forward on her chair, joining her hands under her chin. "You need this. With the ferals, you can only give. Am I wrong?" Niamh opens their mouth, about to contradict her, but is forced to give in. "It's true. But it's not their fault. They don't live in the same condition as us. They need this. They need me." They say. 

Amelia smiles. "Or maybe the opposite. But whatever. You can't keep going like this. Look, I am your friend. Maybe was, but the point is, I know you. You're generous. Loving. Hard working. But that can't keep going. Look at your face. You're… At your breaking point. By giving all the time, sacrificing your time for your work, for your project, whatever it is, and for those Pokémons, you're soon going to end up empty.” 

“Come on Amelia I…” 

“No you listen. You're human. You need to receive. Who ever gives back the attention you offer to those Pokémons? Who gives you back the time you invest in work?" She takes a moment to catch her breath, before she adds. "When is the last time you ever took a day off?" Niamh looks down, passing a hand over their tired face. They reluctantly say. "I… Never took a day off.” 

“Not even sick?”

“No. Look I…” 

“I know. You have your idea. But you're forgetting an important part of life in all this." Niamh leans back on their chair, frowning. "That is?" Amelia smiles. "To live, Niamh. You forget to live. Life is more than that." Her friend sights. They look down at their knees, trying to answer that, but finding no right words for it. 

"And getting a Pokémon would help?" They inquire instead. Amelia frowns as well. "I don't know." Niamh looks up in surprise, before starting to giggle, causing their friend to smile in answer. "You don't know? And me who thought you actually had a plan after all this motivational talk.” 

“You don't get it. You're not like everyone else. To any other person, I would have said something in the line of 'Oh you need to find someone to share your life with' But you…” 

“What me?” 

“Well you don't connect well with people.” 

“Depends on the people, Amélia. But where are you getting at?” 

“Well maybe, that's a big maybe, but maybe, having a Pokémon, having your Pokémon, could help. They could finally give back attention. Help you at the store, basically ease your burden." Niamh looks away, before they take a deep breath. "It doesn't sound too stupid." They reluctantly let out. Amelia smiles, leaning on the table to push the Poke Balls closer to her friend. "Those contains…" But Niamh cuts her, using a deep caricatural voice and raising a finger. 

"Those contains one Pokémon each, one of each primal type. You can only take one, so be very careful, and remember that the Pokémon will need to choose you as well!" They lower their hand, smirking. "I didn't forget all that I learned with your dear old dad. He made me do that to a few young trainers. And here's my answer: no." 

Amelia's eyes widen, she leans forward on the table, about to speak but, once again, Niamh is faster. "I get it. And I'm really moved by what you're doing. I am. You're trying to reach out to me, and I am not sure yet if you didn't succeed at some point. But I don't want your Pokémons. I'm still not certain I want any Pokémon. And it's not something I'm going to decide here and now over some cheesy talk." Amelia shakes her head, seemingly desperate. "You don't even know what Pokémons are in! There's…” 

“It doesn't matter Melia. I don't want Pokémon raised and trained to fight. And honestly, whatever they are, I already have my eyes on the prize. Don't get me wrong." They add as Amelia opens her mouth in protest. "I love all Pokémons, and I would love all three of them. But if I have to take a Pokémon, which again, is really beyond uncertain, I want it to be special, like it's supposed to be." 

Amelia stares at her friend for a few seconds, then starts to giggle, taking the Poke Balls back. "See that's why I wanted to add pleasure into this. Dealing with you is always a pain." Niamh shrugs again, comically raising their hands. "Sorry. I don't do that on purpose.” 

“I know. That's the worst about it." She sights and leans back against her chair, before a familiar voice makes them both jump. "Hey so… I'm done with my shift… And you have barely started… Should I leave you?" Lydia asks, now out of her waitress outfit, and wearing, just like Niamh, a tracksuit, but white, their hairs freed at last. Amelia blushes looking up at her. "I don't…" But Niamh raises a hand. "Go. You deserve some fun after dealing with me. I'll finish my meal and pay for the both of us." Lydia raises an eyebrow. "Wasn't that planned from the beginning?” 

“My dear Lydia, I am supposed to be the one ruining things." Lydia and Amelia smiles. The later passes à hand in her hair. "Will you at least think about…" Niamh cuts her out again with a groan. "Yes, I will. Promise. You gave me plenty to think about. Now take your burger before it freezes and go. It's not like you'll be able to finish it by yourself anyway." Amelia smirks and leans, using towels to take her untouched meal. "Thanks Niamh." They simply dismiss her with a gesture of their hand. "No need to thank me. I did nothing yet." Lydia looks at the both of them, then focuses on Amelia. "Ready?” 

“Ready." 

The two walks away, starting to talk about things that could not reach Niamh's ears. The improvised couple stops at the angle of the street and waves back at Niamh, before disappearing. They look down at their cold meal, picking up another fries and bite into it. They then remove the top of the burger, pour the rest of the fries in, and close the monstrosity they just created. 

They pick it up and take a first, generous bite out of it, chewing for a moment before, just like Amelia, use their towels and wrap it in them. Niamh gets up and walks in the restaurant, over to the counter. The man there offers a surprised frown. "Ma'am? Can I…” 

“I want to pay. And leave. Table six." 

Niamh simply states, taking another bite out of their burger. The man stays baffled for a moment, before tapping on his screen. "It says you haven't ordered dessert in your menu, do you want…” 

“Just let me pay. See it as a tip alright? I'm tired I just want to get home." They abruptly answer, reaching for the bag on their back and pulling out a card. They hand it over to the man. He blinks a couple of times then takes it. "Was it good at least?”

“Delicious. As usual. Just had a tough company."

Within a few minutes, they head out. Niamh gives one last look over where Emilia and Lydia went, then turns around to walk back home. Once in, they close the door, and drop their bag on the ground. They take a moment to look around, taking in the state of their place. They almost lean on to pick up one lying cloth, but stops. "No. No you're not doing it anyway so don't bother. Just head to bed." 

They stand up and walk to the convertible already ready to welcome them. Niamh stares at it for a few seconds, before they let themselves fall right into it, bouncing on the tight mattress a couple of times. They grab onto their pillow and pull it against their chest. They stay a long time like this, staring at a wall, breathing slowly and carefully. They tighten their grip on the pillow, one thought refusing to leave their head. 

_What if she is right?_

Truth is, Niamh always wanted a Pokémon of their own. But they always saw it as something unique. They've spent years looking for the right Pokémon. But there was always one who caught their eyes. A Pokémon that lives nowhere around where they lived, or used to live. But could they really do that? Of course they could take days off. They have plenty of those. But would it be worth it? Could they even take good care of one? 

Niamh moves the pillow up to their face, pressing it hard, then yell into it, the sound muffled. They continue this strange ritual for several minutes before throwing the pillow away. They sit up, pouting. 

"Why? You had to come _today_ , didn't you? You had to mess around with my _head_ and make me _wonder_ about _things_ and _stuffs_. And now I'm _confused _, _sad_ , and _alone_ while, _you_ , will have a good time and probably get…" __

____

____

They let out a frustrated groan and punch their mattress. "Well duck that! I will take that _useless_ vacation, and prove to you that it _can't_ and _won't work!_ "

They crawl out of bed, rush over their computer, and turn it on, the piece of technology powering on with a series of loud “beeps” and shuffle, as if woken up from a long slumber. "And when it'll be _over_ , I'll _throw_ it all at your face. So you'll leave me alone with your _lessons!_ And I will stop losing _time_ over _nothing_."

They furiously type in their passwords, tapping their fingers impatiently on their desktop as the computer loads. Once ready, they open their browser, and type in the research bar one single word. 

Alola.


	4. Long awaited vacation

The three weeks of vacation Niamh took after working nonstop for five years did not exactly settled well with the Company. They spent hours on the phone, arguing loudly in the store while serving baffled customers, until they finally got what they wanted. It's not like the Company could have done anything about it anyway, but they still tried to guilt trip Niamh, which obviously didn't work. 

They did, however, felt a strong feeling of guilt as they closed the store on the last day before their days off, carrying two extra bags of berries. They never had done something as such before. Even if sick. Always present on the job. But they would soon learn to part with this guilt. The plan was to have a few days to prepare, then travel by plane, then boat since Alola didn't had any real airport, stay one week, come back, and enjoy a few days of rest before going back to work. 

The first three days of their vacation were so spent cooking extensively. They had to prepare for the trip, but also to make sure that the Pokémons on the road would be safe and had everything they needed during Niamh's absence. They were really nervous about this, maybe even more than about the trip itself, but they had no one who would care enough to look after the poor creature. And they surely would not call Amelia after that day. 

The day before their departure, they visited the Kricketune family again. They gave the Pokémons a major part the results of their past days of cooking, as well as several Potions and ointments, just in case, and took the time to carefully explain how to use those, even if the family saw Niamh use the very same products several times on their son. Niamh warned them to be extremely careful, almost breaking into tears and canceling everything out of pure anxiety of what could happen, but the family did their best to reassure the poor human. Niamh finally gave in and left, trying their best to stop their worries. 

They spent the rest of that day cleaning up their apartment, finally washing all their clothes, re-discovering some in the process, and packing up for their long trip. They were not ready to admit it, but it felt pleasant to look at an ordered and clean house in the end, even with all the work it asked. Their plane being early, they headed to bed while the sun was still up. However the night wasn't restful at all for them. A thousand scenarios were going through their head, some, very few, were good and cheerful ones, but the vast majority were not. 

Very much not. What if it all goes wrong? The plane is canceled, or the Pokémons there don't accept them? Just because the Pokémons here liked them, wouldn't mean the same could be said for all the others. But you're good with Pokémons .The words of Amelia played back in their mind. What if not? What if it's just luck? It could be. 

They did managed to get some sleep, but only a couple hours before their alarm woke them up. They dressed up, simple jeans, shirt, and sneakers again. The taxi they ordered was on time, and so was Niamh at the airport, if not slightly early, as they had to wait for the check-in to open. All seemed to be going well. No delay announced, no problem with their reservation as they feared. 

Niamh was allowed to proceed to boarding early and waited at the gate, trying to get some more sleep, but their worrying brain and stress to miss their flight simply did not allowed such a thing. They did not wanted to start using their phone or console yet, wanting to save most of it for the flight. After ruminating their thoughts for a long time, they noticed another passenger warning their Pokemon that they will have to put them back in their Poke Ball for the flight. 

Niamh obviously frowned at this, and decided to find someone to ask about it. It didn't took long however, as two stations agents, from the same company they were travelling with, arrived. A man and a woman, both in suits. Niamh walked over to them, smiling. "I'm really sorry to bother you, can I ask a question?" 

The duo exchanged a look, and the man immediately got to work, tapping on the computer to prepare this boarding while the woman smiled. "Yes of course madam. What do you need?" Niamh twitched at her non solicited politeness but said nothing about it. "I heard that Pokémons needed to stay in their Pokeball during the flights. Is it mandatory?” 

“Oh yes. Despite flying types, most are afraid of the sensations, and even flying types are required to stay in their balls." Niamh frowned, looking down. "Isn't there a way to bypass that?” They ask.

“What do you mean?” 

“To have your Pokémon with you during the flight?" Niamh elaborated. The woman sighed, while rolling her eyes. 

_You're pretty bad at customer service are you?_ Niamh though as she noticed. _I'm not better to be honest._

"Yes madam. You can either ask for an AVIH, which means _Alive In Hold_ , in which your Pokémon will travel in a cage…" Niamh was unable to avoid clenching their teeth at that part. "... or ask for a Pok Cabin, that means having your Pokémon in the cabin, in a bag, under your seat if it weight below 6 kg." Niamh let out a disappointing groan hearing this. 

Seeing their frown, the woman added. "However, if you buy a second seat, and ask for the Pokémon in cabin option, you may request, for an extra fee of course, to have your Pokémon seated next to you." Niamh looked at the woman for a few seconds, before nodding. "I see. Thank you for your time.” 

“You don't look satisfied Madam." 

“Most Pokémons can easily handle a flight, if their owners prepare them and explain to them what will happen. Once again, human negligence forces those poor creatures to suffer the consequences. But don't worry, it's not the only disappointment to come. What are the requirements to take a Pokémon on a flight?” 

“Vaccinations, registration, and property documents at your name, or an authorization from the owner. " The woman seemed thrown aback by what Niamh said, but didn't let that phase her answer. Niamh nodded again, and smiled. "Thank you. Again." Then went back to wait. 

The time of boarding finally arrived. Niamh was one of the first to get in, being seated in the very rear of the cabin. Once in, and made it pass the usual security measure announcement, they took out their headset, plugging it to their phone to put on some music. Most of the flight happened with the occasional turbulences, but nothing else. By the time the plane landed, their console was long depleted and their phone down to half its charge. 

The time to pick up their luggage and they headed out, wasting no time in looking around. Outside, like clockwork, the taxi supposed to drive them to the port is there. They put their luggage in the car trunk before getting in. As they left, the driver looked back at Niam, smiling. "Soo… Where does a…" But he was quickly cut out. "I'm sure you're a really nice person, but I really don't want to talk. Plus, I suck at it. Let's just drive okay?" The driver stayed a few seconds in disbelief, then simply focused back on the road. "Yes. As you wish" 

They didn't wanted to appear rude, but their mind wasn't exactly in position to kick back and relax yet. The rest of the ride so happened in this tense and awkward atmosphere that Niamh was only too familiar with. After reaching destination, they simply payed the poor nice driver and took back what they stored. Finding the boat appeared to be a particularly easy task, as Alola is a very popular place for tourism of all sorts. 

It was a very large and imposing ferry. And again, as if everything was made to be perfect, they arrived right on time to check-in, and even boarded in advance. After getting their papers back, Niamh looked at the man who served them. "I'm sorry, is there any limitation for Pokémon on the boat?" The man smiled beautifully, and shook his head. "No. Pokémons are free to go in our boats. If they do something wrong, however, their trainer is held responsible." Niamh smiled back. Finally some decency. "Of course. Thank you.” 

“Thank _you_! Have a nice trip." 

Not even a _ma'am_ or _madam_ or even _miss_! Maybe it wouldn't be _that_ bad after all. Of course, finding their room was a whole other ordeal. They lost themselves more than once, and had to ask the crew for directions several times. Finally, after much more walk than anticipated, they entered their cabin. Niamh was not the type to waste money, but for this, and the hassle it would be for most likely nothing, they didn't hesitated. 

The cabin in itself isn't much bigger than their apartment, but still bigger, which could be seen as a taunt from life, but with a larder bed, wide TV, and a very white and shiny bathroom. They dropped their luggage on the ground and jumped into the bed. The softness and bounciness of this one managed to steal a smile from their face. Days off were maybe not that bad in the end. 

The two day trip went in a blast. Especially because Niamh spent most of it sleeping, catching back on all those four or five hours only of sleep they were usually getting with their normal rhythm, occasionally heading out, but only to grab food when their belly's protestations became too loud to ignore. On the day of arrival, they finally found the will to head out. 

They walk up to the main deck to admire their destination. Alola. Paradise Islands where some of the most exotic species or variations of the Pokémons they are used too lived. And home of the Pokémon their heart so dearly desires. Of the set of four… Or five islands if we count the artificial one that was still a mystery to them, only Akala Island interest them. 

Well of course, all the others are interesting in their own way and filled with their own unique species, but they only had one week. Anxiety fills them again as the ferry carefully approach the ridiculously small port… If it can be referred to this way.

A single dock, with a nearby large and quite impressive custom made walkway, designed to be able to attach to most ferries or large tourism boats, and then retract to allow the smaller boats of the inhabitants of the Island to dock, leading to a humble ferry terminal on the left, then directly into the city. If anything, Niamh could appreciate the determination of those people to keep their magnificent Islands for themselves. 

They sigh and, holding onto the rail, they observe. Akala Island isn't the biggest of all, nor the most diversified in terms of landscape. But those burning and smoking heights, surrounded by a city and several Greenland sure is something. Their eyes set on the mountain. They bite their lips. 

A sudden agitation from all the people around them signals the time to stop dreaming and act. Even though Niamh never came in any of the Alola island, they were able to prepare for this trip. The town they were arriving in is Heahea city. Probably a very pleasant place, but their destination of stay is the Royal avenue, Where a Battle Royal Dome was built for the entertainment of many, and for trainers to once again lash out onto their Pokemon. 

This place isn’t exactly a favorite of Niamh. 

Those two locations are very close to each other, and to their final destination, but even then, since they are not here to visit, and have so little time to do what they want to do, they made some preparations. 

They rush back to their cabin, picking the luggage they didn't even took the time to unpack, and head into the flow of people heading out. A few more paperworks and they are out, two bags on their back, and pulling two moderately heavy luggage onto the tight docks trying their best not to fall off. 

As they struggle to pull themselves out of the mass of tourists, a strong hand grabs onto their wrist and rescue them. Pulled on the side, they are welcomed by a tanned masculine face, smiling brightly at them. Eyes as brown as the bark of a tree, and hair darker than night, going wild in all directions. Niamh smiles back, and drop their bags to hug the man tightly. "Julien!" 

He giggles and wraps his arms around them as well, raising them slightly from the ground. "Niamh! Oh it's so good to finally meet you for real!" He releases them, still smiling up to his ears. "How are you? You look much better than when you called me!" Niamh blushes, passing a hand over their neck. "I overslept. Several times. I suppose I needed some rest. But what about you? You look even finer in real!" 

They both giggles like old friends. He starts to lean to grab Niamh's luggage, but they stop him, picking those up themselves. "Still yourself I see." He states while they stand up. He places a friendly hand on their shoulder, causing Niamh to shiver, but not protest. "So… Are you going to tell me why you came? And why I should not tell doc…” 

“It's complicated. I had an argument with Amelia.” 

“You two always have an argument about something.” 

“We're two strong personalities. Or I'm just stupid. One thing for sure, we're both strong headed. I don't want to tell more in case what I came here to do doesn't work. Then I'll leave Amelia to explain herself." He shakes his head, while walking them through the town. "You two are impossible. So I'll have to wait?” 

“Yes, sorry handsome. Do you have what I asked?" He sights but nods. He searches for a few seconds in his pockets and pulls out a small remote-like device. "Yes. I managed to snatch this one. Set on Charizard, as you asked" Niamh takes it, observing the device closely. "Thanks. You're the best. First time I get to use a Ride Pager. That'll make things easier." Julien starts to laugh.

When Niamh looks up to him to understand why, he playfully ruffles their hair. "You haven't changed much. You come to Alola, and you don't think one second of doing anything else than your job." Niamh blushes but manages to smile. "It's not a job. But… I guess you're not wrong. We'll see if this helps.” 

“Well, whether it does or not, can I invite you to drink something?” 

“Sorry Casanova. Can't do. I have a lot to do, and only a week to do it. But if it goes better than I think it will, then yes. Anytime." He rolls his eyes comically, but also frowns slightly at their remark. "You're no fun. I guess I'll leave you then?” 

“Yes." They say in a chuckle. "Sorry. But I just want to get this over with." He nods, seemingly understanding. "You asked for my help. So it must be really important to you." Niamh looks away. They sight, then hesitate before they say. "Maybe. See you Julien. I promise I'll take some time to hang out even if it doesn't work out.” 

“I'll make sure you keep that promise." He removes his hand from Niamh's shoulder. They take a few steps away, to make sure that the Pokémon would have enough place to land safely. She takes out the badger and presses one of the buttons. Several minutes pass while they simply keep standing awkwardly at a few meters from each other. 

Niamh finally looks over to him. "Hey… I don't want to be that person, but I think it doesn't…" A strong gust of wind hits their face, then another, and another. Raising an arm, they look up, seeing that a Charizard wearing a collar and a saddle is slowly descending from the sky, flapping its wings, hence the wind.  
It finally land and sit down, raising its head and looking down at Niamh. This one lets out a chuckle. "Well… Aren't you one proud girl." The Pokémon tilts her head while Julien walks closer. "How do you…” 

“I'm good with Pokémon’s anatomy." He blushes at this. "Why would you look there first?" They smile at him. "Bad habit? Anyway, it's perfect. Thank you Julien." They walk closer to the Charizard. "Mind laying down cutie? Don't worry, I'm small enough for you to still look down on me then." The Pokémon lets out a puff of smoke, seemingly amused by the human. 

Slowly, she lays down. Niamh raise a hand and softly caresses the side of her head. Surprised at first, the service Pokémon soon starts to purr and press her head against Niamh's hand who smiles widely. "Oh you're a sweetheart. I won't be bothering you much during my week here." They raise their other hand, gently taking the head of the Pokémon in them, and leans on to kiss her on the snout. 

The Charizard blushes, but doesn't complain. "I have two luggage that I'll need you to carry, if it's not too much. Destination Royale Avenue. Is that okay with you?" The Pokémon scoffs and nods, grinning down at them as to say It's nothing. Niamh smiles back. "Of course. Thank you. Ready to go?" She lowers her neck in answer, presenting the saddle to the human. 

Niamh leaves their luggage on the ground while they walk closer and climbs on. Feet in the stirrups, bags tightly wrapped on their back, they grab the handles on the saddle tightly. The Charizard stands up, picking up the two luggage with her front arms. 

She then opens her wings and looks back at Niamh. They smile weakly. "I'm ready. I know you will want to impress me, but I have a little fear of heights so… Please go easy on me." They turn around to wave at Julien who waves back while taking a few careful steps back. 

With one powerful push from the Charizard's robusts legs, that also pushes Niamh tight into their seat, they leave the ground. She flaps her large wings once, then twice, catching a quick rhythm compared to her size, and within seconds they are entering the sky, moving quickly toward the clouds. "Woah…" Niamh manage to let out before they feel the wind caused by the speed to engulf in their mouth, cutting off their breath. 

They lean onto the Pokémon, hiding from the wind behind her head. Niamh let's go of the handles to wrap their arms around the majestic creature's neck. She twitches in surprise, before beginning to purr softly. Niamh couldn't hear it, but they could feel it. They close their eyes, rubbing their head against the warm skin of the Pokémon. "You're amazing." The purr only grew from that. Niamh stays like this, rock by the slow but regular flapping on the Chrizard’s wings. 

This, coupled with the calm breathing of the creature, her purring, and the fast beating of her heart, is slowly sending Niamh into a trance. They fly several years back, when they met Julien for the first time, over a video call. “Hey, you must be the new guy?” His deep voice and accent made them blush back then, despite how innocent he looked. It still does as of today. They remember clearly themselves mumbling back. “I huh… yeah. Is it normal for people in Alola to never wear a shirt?”

“Hey, if it was half as hot where you are, you would pass on the shirt as well!” He answered giggling. “So how is it going? I’ve heard you’re quite promising.” Niamh looked back to their tutor, working over on his own station, pretending not to hear a thing. “I can’t tell about that. But I’m really excited. That’s an opportunity like no other.”

“You can say that. Professor Teak is really picky with his students. You must be some kind of special.”

“I… don’t think I am, but if he really believes that, I’ll work hard enough to live up to his expectations.” Laughter. The teen wiped some tears off his eyes. “If you’re always that serious, he’ll love you. How is it going with his daughter?” They frowned a little at this, only for a split second. “It’s… going. I don’t think she likes me too much. She’s been only… cold so far.”

“Oh don’t worry, she’ll open up. Let’s say that the apple didn’t fell far from the tree with her. But you’ve got to admit that she…” He lowered his voice so the professor would not hear him. “… Is quite the sight right?” Niamh blushed and clearly remembered looking away, a little hurt. Maybe more than a little. 

“I mean… I guess she is? I’m not really good at… that stuff.” He giggled and smirked at their troubled face. He leaned onto his webcam and winked. They can still feel their heart flutter from the look he gave them. He didn’t looked so innocent then. “Maybe it’s the shirt?” 

They closed the call, all flustered, and pulled up more of the documents they were supposed to read, trying their best to calm down their breath. Both were 15 years younger than now. What hasn’t changed since, is the determination of the young man, still pursuing his studies and preparing a PhD in ghosts types. 

He was a breath of fresh air into their monotonic life back then. The whole being chosen by one of the most prominent Pokémon expert of this time was thrilling. For the first time they had a hope of doing something that matters. They were so excited to share tgeir view with people who would understand. Because they would, right? It changed fast however. 

Unwillingly, the picture in their mind shifts from the smiling face of the tanned younger Julien, to the stern and cold look of the professor. “What are you trying to prove here? Do you plan to undo everything that I’ve worked for?” Niamh gasps and suddenly sits up on the saddle.

Noticing the absence of wind slapping their face surprises them at first. Niamh looks around to notice that the Pokémon isn’t in the sky anymore. Actually, the Charizard is laying down on the grassy ground of the Royal Avenue, right in front of a fountain, her head resting on the edge of it, lazily sticking her tongue out to lap the water. 

People sitting on the bench next to them gives to both the Pokémon and Niamh a mix of surprised and annoyed glare. They blush deeply and climb down from the saddle. They walks over to the hydrating Charizard and sits next to her head. “Hey… Sorry. I didn’t meant to fall asleep. You could have woken me up you know?” The people sitting on the bench on their left shoots them a harsh look that they ignore. 

The Charizard looks up to the kind human and lets out a small cry. Niamh smiles awkwardly and gently starts to softly caress her head. “You’re too sweet. Thank you.” They look down to see their bags, the Charizard’s tail wrapped around them protectively. They walk over to them and open one. After a few seconds, they pull out a small bag. 

The Pokémon’s head immediately perks up. Niamh giggles at her reaction and walk back to her, then say. “Here’s some treats for you. For the flight and… for keeping an eye on me and my stuff.” The Charizard seems to hesitate at first. She looks down at the bag, back at Niamh, who smiles reassuringly. She leans on the bag to smell it and almost immediately starts to drool. She looks up to the human once again, still in disbelief. 

Niamh giggles and takes the front paw of the Pokémon and place the bag in it. “For real. You can have them whenever you want.” The Charizard sits up and looks down at the bag with wide eyes. She uses her other paw to open it and pulls out a blue star. She looks to the human yet once again, then takes a careful bite out of it. Her eyes and face immediately soften. She begins to purr again, and takes another bite, closing her eyes this time. 

Niamh smiles happily. “Looks like my recipe still works, even in Alola.” The Pokémon looks at them and nods. Both jumps as the collar on her neck starts to bip. Someone else is calling her. She frowns, throws the rest of the candy in her mouth before handing the bag back to Niamh who gently shakes her head. “You keep it. It’s a present.” 

The look on the Pokémon’s face changes to pure surprise. Niamh smiles at her confusion and strokes her head. “You work hard, you deserve it. Now go! I don’t want to get you into trouble.” The Charizard stares back at them for a few seconds, then leans on them, and presses her head against Niamh’s chest for a few seconds, purring louder than they thought a Charizard could, then pulls back. 

She walks out of the beautiful and colorful park and spreads her wings. She takes off with a last loving glance toward the human. Niamh looks at her go, a stupid but happy smile on their face. However, a hard-nosed voice quickly cuts them off their musing. 

“It’s its job you know?” They look down to see a woman with a Evee on her lap, who looks curiously up to the other human. They sight. “Judging by her reaction, she doesn’t seem to get much recognition for her work.” They walk over to their luggage and pick them both up. They don’t even look back at the woman and start to walk toward the Battle Royal Dome. 

They read online and heard from Julien that this place soon became very popular here, something that strangely didn’t followed on the mainland for some reasons. Niamh obviously isn’t a big fan of it. Four trainers, four Pokemon. The match ends when one of the Pokemon is K.O, the winner is the trainer with the Pokemon in the best state, a.k.a which isn’t bleeding to death. 

It pains them to give their money to this place, of all the other less hurtful hotels around, but this one is closer to their destination. The entrance is filled with people walking in and out of the large and imposing building. On each side of the extremely wide and colorful walkway are two small artificial lakes that are known to provide beautiful water works during special events. 

Two rows of spotlights ensure to keep even the grey color of the stadium’s exterior at least flashy in some ways. Without wasting any more time, Niamh walks towards the automatic sliding doors, who opens gladly for them.

The inside is honestly sober than they expected. White large irregular tiles forms the ground, the walls are all grey, and so are the stairs leading to the arena. The ceiling is brightly covered with lights. Only thing separating this place for any other store is the symbol of the Battle Royal Dome printed on the center of the room. Four gloves, red, blue, green and yellow hitting each other on a cartoonish red motif with a simple representation of the arena itself. 

In front of it and of the entrance is a large reception, with four employees, and on the far right, a computer where people, probably trainers, were waiting to change their team of Pokémon. Niamh ignores it and looks on the left, where a smaller reception stands, where only two people, talking with each other, are sitting, a door on their left. With the growing popularity of the Dome, two large hotels have been built on each sides. 

One fancy and expensive, the other, less. 

Niamh walks over one of them, a short man, and sets their luggage down to open their backpack, starting to go through it. They open their mouth but the man is faster. “Sorry miss, for the incoming Battle Royale it’s at the larger desk.” He states in a monotonous voice, leaning back on his chair. They stop in their search and look up to the man, then above him where “Battle Royale Hotel Reception” is clearly written. 

They sight and pull their reservation out, then place it on the counter. “I know. I’m Niamh Haide. I booked here for a week.” The man immediately jumps and looks at the piece of paper. He looks up to Niamh and smiles beautifully despite his surprise. “My apologies. You’re right on time miss.” He takes the paper and starts tapping at his computer. “I see all is already payed… And you’re right on time.” He repeats. “We’re just done cleaning the room.” 

Niamh smiles back in an attempt to reassure the young man. “That’s good to hear. Do I need anything?” The poor man hesitates a moment, then shakes his head. He hands the reservation back, then leans under the counter to pick up a key with the number 45 written on it. Niamh takes both and opens their mouth to thank him when he gasps and reaches behind him for a couple tickets. He lays them down on the counter in front of them. 

They look at them, then up to the man. Seeing their confusion, he explains. “Since you’ve booked one of our prized rooms we offer you two full day pass for the Battle Royale Dome.” Niamh lets out a polite “Ah.” Before looking back to the two tickets, blue, and still arboring the logo of the even. They hesitate a moment then takes them. “Thank you very much.”

“Thank you! The door is on your right.” Niamh nods and shoves everything in her bag, then picks up their two pieces of luggage and leaves. The two panel glass door slides open for them automatically, revealing a hall with two elevators on each side, just as sober as the entrance of the Dome, grey, with a white carpet following along the row of doors. 

They call the elevator on the right who opens immediately. Happy with this luck, they walk in, and search for a moment on the numerical pad inside which floor to go to, and settle for the second, after seeing a small chart describing which rooms were at which floors. 

The door closes, and a few seconds later, they arrive in a very similar hallway. They walk out and head towards the room 45. The key fits right in, and the door unlocks with a satisfying click. They open the heavy door with difficulty, then block in with one of their luggage.

The room at least breaks the monotonous grey of the building by offering a clear beige, from the carpet to the wallpaper, only the ceiling breaks the continuity with a simple white. After the two beds, a door leading to a bathroom, and next to it, a very small and simple kitchen. Perfect. They breathe in and smiles. The room smells fresh, or at least, fresher than their apartment. 

Niamh pulls their second luggage in and throws it on the bed, before finally removing the other and close the door. With both pieces of luggage on the bed, they take out their phone and take a look at the time. Half an hour from noon. They set it down on the bed and opens one of the luggage to pull out a larger bag pack than their current one. 

They open it and charge it with the treats and meals that they spent the week before cooking, some potions and first aid kits, just in case. They transfer the content of the smaller one in this one and launch it on their back. They walk back out of the room, close and lock the door, and starts walking back to the elevator. As they ride it down, their mind immediately starts rushing. 

There is no way it would work on the first day, but their hopes are up, despite what logic might dictate. The doors opens and Niamh immediately leaves the elevator, and the building, ignoring all around them. They walk out of the Dome, and immediately heads on their left. They pass in front of a large supermarket, and turns left again, on route 7. 

The environment soon abruptly changes from a tarmac road and overall greenness, to a solid rock road, leading right to the impressive burning mountain of Akala Island. They walk several minutes to finally find their destination, a massive cave entrance, sitting on their left, with a sizable sign proudly stating : “Wela Volcano Park”. 

Niamh stands in front of it, staring at both the cave and the sign. _This is it_. They sight, closes their eyes. They feel their heart beating fast and hard in their chest, soft shaking reach their hands. They close their fists, and take several deep breaths before they open their eyes again. With a mix of determination, fear, and anxiety, they walk in.


	5. Such a strange lizard

As soon as Niamh leave the sun outside and pass through the shade of the cave, they can feel a powerful heatwave coming from deeper. They close their eyes for a moment, spending a few seconds to take in the heat, before they push further in. After a fairly several minutes long dark corridor, they enter the first real cave of the complex system forming the bowel of the volcanic mountain. 

The stone composing everything but the ground is made of a dark burning red, a good way to explain the extreme heat. The ground formed of a more malleable hard dry clear dirt. They notice that the ground forms three separate levels, accessible from convenient slopes, all mostly covered in dry tall grass. They continue further, reaching the second level while looking at the handful of people wandering around, some equipped with backpack and Poke Balls. 

They sight and walk into the tall grass and sit down in the middle. They take the bag from their back and place it on their lap. They pull a cloth out of it that they set down before them. They start pulling out and setting down all of the different meal they prepared. Once done, they simply set the bag against their back, lean against it, and pull out their phone. No signal. They shrug and search for a moment, before they open one of the many books they have already downloaded. 

It takes some time for the Pokémons to finally dare to approach them. When they close their phone and notice the first Fletching timidly steps on the cloth, more than half an hour has passed. Niamh smile to the flying Pokémon. “Hey there. Come, don’t be shy, I won’t hurt you. You’re hungry right?” The creature stops as soon as it hears the voice of the human. It looks up to them as if it didn’t saw them, and freezes. 

The look in its eyes painfully reminds Niamh that this place is part of the path for the Island Challenge. Some kind of ritual that most adolescents goes through in order to become “adults”. Of course, doing so, they need to traverse through most of the Islands, and face the champions and ultimately chiefs of each of them. The champion of the Fire trial being at the top of the mountains, dozens of trial goers storms the Park every day. 

Carefully and slowly, they lean in and push a small basket toward the bird. It tenses up, but doesn’t try to run away yet. “Hey… I promise you’ll be fine. Look.” They raise their hands. “I don’t have any Poke Balls or Pokémons. See? Come on, I made this for you!” Still smiling, they pick one of the snacks, a wrap of vegetables, and bite into it slowly for the Pokémon to see.

As usual, seeing the human eating the food they offer reassures the poor creature. It carefully hops toward a small bowl with baked corn grains. Very slowly, and still staring at the human with suspicion’s filled eyes, it picks a couple of grains, and jumps back into the grass. It comes back a few seconds later to reiterate the same process, once, then twice, then thrice…

Niamh quickly lose count as they notice rattles amongst the grass around them. Another Fletching, slightly taller, appears between the grass. It looks up to the human sitting before the food, but probably more hungry than its congener, immediately hops closer to pick a ball of rice and berries and begins to tear it into pieces. Niamh can’t help but giggle at this, which doesn’t phase their hungry friend. 

Soon, a Cubone joins them, slightly taller than the Fletchlings. As usual, the human smile at it, but this one seems more trusting as, while still careful, it walks closer to them. They slide their hand in the bag resting on their side, causing all the creatures to freeze, but only take out a small paper plate. Niamh pick a little of each of their preparations, then give the plate to the surprised Pokémon. It hesitates, but quickly gives in and grabs the serving.

Niamh shows the empty space on the cloth. “Please, you can eat here. I won’t hurt you.” The surprise they see in there eyes of the Cubone squeeze their heart. They open their mouth, but the Pokémon shyly walks next to them, and sits down. Surprised as well, Niamh can only smile. “You too miss some affection, don’t you?” It looks up to them for a few seconds, then focus back on its plate.

_You’re good with Pokémons._

They frown then shake their head. Niamh suddenly jumps as they feel the Fletching from earlier land on their forearm. It drops one of the wraps they made and chirp loudly at them. They take one second to shake the surprise away, then pick up the meal and begin to break it down into pieces small enough for the Pokémon to eat.

They barely have the time to place the result of their work in another plate that a new batch of Pokémons joins them. Four more Fletchlings, three Cubones, and even a timid Magby. Niamh sights while still smiling widely. They pull out more plates and take the time to serve each Pokémons, but they finally give up as only more Pokémons joins the improvised pic-nic. Instead, they simply place plates down for whoever might want them.

Niamh notices yet a new rattling coming from the grass and smiles, but their smile quickly disappear as the triangular head of a Salandit passes through. Their heart immediately drops down their chest. They blink a few times, trying to calm down, but unable to. Niamh chuckles nervously and forces a smile on their face. “H-hey little…” But they are forced to fall back into silence when the Pokémon passes the barrier of grass, revealing a frail body as white as snow.

Their eyes widen while their lower jaw drops. 

_A shiny Salandit?_

Niamh’s surprise doesn’t stop. The lizard Pokémon looks right up into their eyes, and walks slowly closer, dodging nimbly the other eating creatures. Yet something is off. Way off. It stops in front of them, still staring at them, and takes a deep breath. Niamh suddenly notices how it’s tail stays low to the ground, and the rapid breathing that causes it’s chest to move like under spasm. 

_You… Are stressed?_

A discreet but clear blue blush appears on the cheeks of the Pokemon. “Sal…” It shyly lets out, finally breaking eye contact with the human. Niamh looks down at the rest of its unique body. The hips, the length of the tail, the sharper muzzle. Female attributes. But its way of moving is off. Artificial. 

_That can’t be…_

Niamh take a deep breath and force a smile on their face once again. “Hi, sorry. You’re absolutely stunning, I never expected… well it doesn’t matter. You’re hungry?” It’s eyes glows in answer before it even has time to move, but when it does, it shakes its head negatively. Niamh raise a skeptical eyebrow. “Really?”

The Salandit nods nervously. “Salan!” It says. Niamh frowns, lost. “Not hungry but you still want food?” They ask. “Why?” The Pokémon blushes once again, and looks behind, its muzzle pointing at the higher level of the cave. Niamh raises their head, then tilt it as they notice a black Salazzle, the evolution of Salandit, laying on the ground, crowded by many other Salandits, shuffling nervously around her, her tail resting lazily on the ground.

Niamh look down at the shiny Salandit in front of them, still confused. “You… want to get her food?” The Pokémon nods, furiously this time. They take another deep breath, and smile down at the creature. “Then let’s be sure you make a good impression, right?” The Salandit tilts its head, curious at what this human means. 

They take one of their lunch boxes, empty it in another one, then proceed to fill it with the various meals they prepared, under the surprised eyes of the Salandit. Once the box is filled to the brim, they hand it to the Pokémon, smiling reassuringly. “Here, get her that. If that doesn’t impress her I don’t know what will.”

The Salandit’s jaw drops. It stares at the feast the human made for it, then looks up to them. “Sa… Salan?” Niam can’t help but giggle in answer. “You’re too cute. And polite. Yes, take it, and go impress her before she’s not hungry anymore!” It seemingly hesitates for a few seconds, then looks up to Niamh. “Sal…” 

The human nods. “Sure, I won’t touch you, look.” They gently set the lunch box on the ground, and move back. The unique Pokemon looks at them once again, then grabs the box, and crawls away, disappearing into the grass.

Niamh chuckle to themselves, unsure if they want to believe in what just happened. They see the Salandit exit the grass, carrying the box with their two front paws, running cutely on its rear legs. It hurries up the slope, then stops at the top of it. It looks at the box, then at the Salazzle, clearly hesitating. It looks down at the human who gave the food to it, and Niamh raises a thumb up for it.

They could not see from here, but they are pretty certain that the Salandit must be blushing again. It looks back at the Salazzle, and slowly walks towards her. As soon as the others Salandits notices, they freeze in place. Niamh frowns at this.

_That’s not good._

The Salazzle sits up, slowly, staring down at the smaller Pokémon. The shiny Salandit looks down, impressed or scared, Niamh cannot tell. It seems to take a deep breath, then takes a couple of steps toward the Salazzle, and raises the box.

A sudden cry near them forces Niamh to look down. They only now notice that they moved from sitting to kneeling. All the Pokémons around them stare at the human, worried. They take a deep breath. “I’m sorry… It’s all fine. I just…”

A movement in the corner of their eyes forces them to look back where the Salazzle is standing. Except she is now closer to the poor shiny Salandit, towering over him, standing on her hind legs, arms spread apart, paws clenched open, tail swaying slowly high above the ground, her mouth half open in what could only be a growl. Niamh shakes their head. “Oh no…”

They look at the Salandit. It closed its eyes, still holding the box up. Even at this distance, they can see that it is shaking. “Just leave, she’s…” But before Niamh can finish their sentence, the Salazzle suddenly turns around. No one has a chance to react. Her tail slashes through the air, and hits the Salandit directly in the face in a sounding slapping sound that immediately turns the cave silent.

It screams out in pain, the hit launching it against the burning walls of the cave. It drops the box, which bounces on the ground, spreading its contents all over the floor. The Salazzle doesn’t even looks back, and simply walks back to her spot, and lays back down. The other Salandits immediately rushes over the spread out food on the ground.

Niamh jump up, but stand in disbelief for a few seconds. Their surprise and confusion are soon replaced by anger. They pick up their bag and take out a small device that easily fits in their hand before passing the bag on their back. All the Pokémons around them backs away. They look down at them, unable to smile this time. “You can stay here… I just have to take care of that.”

They look back up at the Salazzle, delightfully picking food from one of the Salandit. Niamh growl. “You bitch…” They storm off their pic-nic area and run up the ramp leading to the third level. They stop as they notice the poor shiny Salandit trying to get up. They clench their teeth and kneel next to the Pokémon. It yelps as it notices the human, and covers its head with its forearm, its tail hiding between its legs. 

Niamh frown, and lay a gentle hand on its back. It twitches and yelps once again. The human immediately remove their hand. “Hey… Hey… calm down… I won’t hurt you... I’m here to help.” It hesitantly looks between its fingers. When it recognizes Niamh, it lowers its arms. They gasps. A deep bleeding cut bares its entire left cheek, luckily, it didn’t reach its eye, and stops before the creature’s neck.

Niamh growls again. “I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have… Doesn’t matter. Stay here sweetheart, I’ll be right back” They stand up and look over to the Salazzle. They clench their hand on the small device they took and drop their bag at the feet of the shiny Salandit before they determinately walk to the tall lizard, who had a pile of snack stacked before her.

As for the shiny Salandit, all freezes, again, except this time, the other Salandits quickly rush behind the Salazzle. She immediately jumps up on her limbs, her head hanging low. She growls. Niamh does so as well. “Who do you think you are?” They shift the device in their hand, moving it forward, revealing what could be two small shiny metal fangs.

They take a step forward, to which the Salazzle lets out a surprised “Sa?” And backs away. Niamh smirks. “Oh I see, to take on a small Salandit you have no problem, but someone your size isn’t the same huh?” They say, their voice dangerously low. They start shaking. “That food is _mine_. None of you deserves it. You’re going to give it back.”

The Salazzle growls, pulling the pile of food closer to her. Niamh take another step forward, menacing. “If it wasn’t good enough when _he_ offered it to you, then I don’t see why it would be now.”

The Pokémon looks legitimately surprised for a moment, but quickly her surprise changes into a smirk. “Salaz? Sala sala…” Niamh growl louder. “How about you say that to my face, you pathetic parody of a dragon?” The smirk immediately leaves her face. She hisses at the human who smirks in return. “Come on… I don’t have any Pokémon… What’s your excuse? You’re just an overgrown _lizard_.” 

The Salazzle slaps the ground with her tail, and digs her fingers into the ground. At that moment, Niamh knows they’ve already won. They see movement on their left, and notice a couple of trainers running up. To their right, they see the shiny Salandit standing up, staring at them. They focus back on the lizard Pokémon. She suddenly jumps forward, a viscous purple fluid pouring out of her mouth. Niamh tense up, and take a step forward. Enraged, the Pokémon is bold. She stands on her rear legs, grabs Niamh’s shoulders, and opens her mouth, revealing pulsating venom sacks in the back of her mouth, ready to burst at the human.

A loud scream fills the cave. All life freezes and looks up to the confrontation. The two trainers reach the third level, only to stop dead in their tracks. What they whiteness, is the Salazzle, laying on her side, her body tense and arcing up, her mouth wide open, but no more sound finding its way out. Niamh is standing over her, the device from earlier buried deep in the lizard’s shoulder, their thumb pressing hard on the single button of the hardware.

Niamh release the button. Immediately, the body of the Salazzle falls flat on the ground, panting heavily, a low whine filling the air. The human leans over her head. “I’d never hurt a Pokémon, but I really don’t mind making an exception for the likes for you.” Their thumb hover over the button again, shaking. They close their eyes, take a deep breath, and stand up, pulling the device away, leaving two darker dots in the skin of the creature. 

“You are better than us. So don’t be stupid. He’s different. So what? You think he would try to take over? By starving himself like the other males? He’s shiny. He could get all he wants. It’s not a trick.” They let out a long sight. “Hurt him again, and I’ll show you the extent of my anatomy knowledge. And you…” They add, turning toward the terrified group of Salandits who all jumps in response.

“Pick up all that mess, put everything back in the box. Now. I won’t ask again.” They all look over the whining Salazzle, and immediately obey. They run all around, picking up all the snacks and remaining of snacks, packing them up neatly in the lunch box. One Salandit brings it to Niamh when they’re finally done. The human looks at the box, arms crossed, back at them, then sights, and pushes the box back to them with a feet.

“Take it. Your Salazzle will get back up soon enough. And please eat some for yourselves. And never hurt him again. He’s no different than you.” The group of Salandit look up to Niamh in a mix of surprise and disbelief. They smile. “Not used of kindness mmh? Don’t worry, me neither.” Joining act to words, Niamh turns around and walks towards the poor shiny Salandit.

They stop as they notice the two trainers from earlier, still frozen on top of the slope. They growl once again, causing the man and woman to back away. “Fuck off.” The man opens his mouth, but his acolyte grabs his arm and presses it. He frowns, but obeys and slowly walks way. Niamh snorts, then reach the wounded Pokemon and pick up their bag.

Niamh expected the poor creature to yelp and runaway, but he stays still, starting up at them, even as they kneel before him. “I know you don’t want to be touched, but I’ll need to if I am to heal you okay?” At those words, the Salandit backs and curls against the wall of the cave, emitting a long protesting cry. Niamh sight. “Then what? I let you bleed?” He doesn’t answer.

Niamh take a deep breath and sit down. They move the bag on their lap and open it, slowly pulling out boxes, bandages, potions, antiseptic and needles. The Salandit doesn’t take his eyes away from them, following every single one of their movements. He is still obviously tensed, but at least Niamh can see that his breathing calmed down.

They set the last bottle down before they push the bag away. Niamh join their hands and take another deep breath before looking directly into the Pokémon’s eyes. “It’s a bad cut that you have. And some Salazzle’s skin can be dripping with their poison. I don’t think it’s her case since it would have poisoned me, but we can’t take any chances.”

The Salandit tilts his head. “S-salan?” Niamh smile. “Just because you’re a poison type, doesn’t mean you can’t get poisoned. So we have to make sure that you’re safe. Still don’t want me to touch you?” He emits a low and weak growl as an answer. They raise both of their hands in defeat. “Fine, the dirty human won’t touch you. I get it. You’re really a strange one. I’d love to hear your story.”

Instead, Niamh push the supplies they pulled out of the bag toward the Pokémon. He looks down at it for a few seconds, then looks up to the human. “Sa?” Niamh smirk. “You don’t want me to touch you, that’s fine, but I’m not leaving until that cut is taken care off.” He frowns and crosses his arms. “Salan!” Niamh crosse their arms as well. “You’re right, you’ll heal. But that’ll leave a mark.” 

The face of the Pokémon change from defiant to horrified, to which the human respond by smiling wider. “You don’t really seem to like the idea do you? Someone is careful about their appearance?” The Salandit doesn’t answer directly, but his adorable blue blush speaks volume. Niamh nod. “You are absolutely breathtaking. If you don’t want to keep that scar, we need to do something. So, either, you let me heal you…” The Salandit starts to growl again. “… Or I teach you how to.” The growl dies almost instantly in his chest.

The human giggles. “You didn’t expected that it seems. I can teach you. I did that before. But the stitching part might be hard on your own.” He blinks several times. “Sa… Salan? Sal?” Niamh nod again. “Yes. But it will hurt, got it?” The shiny Salandit swallows heavily at the mention of pain. Niamh smiles, then picks one of the needles. They then open a box and picks up a small syringe. They look up at the staring Pokémon. “It’s an anaesthetic.” Niamh simply state while assembling the two parts. “It will take a good chunk of the pain away. But you won’t really feel your cheek for a moment. You might even feel a little light headed.”

The growls starts again, before Niamh can even finish their sentence. They give the Pokémon a concerned look. “You really want to heal that big cut without any anaesthetic? It will hurt. Badly.” The Slandit frowns, then nods. The human giggles nervously and points at a small box in the middle of the supplies. “There are some candies in there. They’ll alleviate the pain, but only a little. At least try those please.” They ask, setting the syringe down.

He looks up at them again, then slowly and shyly reaches for the box. It takes him a few seconds to figure out how to open it, but he finally pops the cover which falls on the ground. He pulls out a small candy and sniffs it. He stares at it for a moment, but then throw it in his mouth. 

As soon as he bites on it, a soft purr escapes him. He blushes again and, while clearly avoiding the look of the human in front of him, takes a second one. Niamh smile but refrain from teasing him. He closes his eyes in delight as he bites on it, and picks up yet another one that he barely munch on before swallowing. A soft smile appears on his face as he reaches for a fourth.

Niamh can’t help but chuckle, which causes the Salandit to stop in his movement. “No no, I’m sorry, I’m not mocking you. It’s just… you are hungry, aren't you?” He opens his mouth, but instead simply sets the box down. Niamh sight. “Fine. You’re more persistent than me I think. That means a lot.” 

The Pokemon looks at the supplies, left and right, ignoring them. With a smile, Niamh lean on and push one purple bottle. The Salandit jumps, then looks up at them. “Anti-poison. Drink it, better safe than sorry.” He looks down again, then nods. He picks up the bottle and observes it closely with curiosity. After a moment, he grabs the cap and tries to unscrew it. After a couple of failed attempts he lets out a complaining whine. Niamh smile.

“Smart little guy. Almost there. See the two darker part on the cap? Yes, that part. You need to pinch them.” He tilts his head for a second then gasps. Using two fingers, he presses on the two darker triangles on each opposite of the cap and twists it. In a crack, the cap concedes. The Salandit unscrew it with a victorious purr, and lets it fall on the ground. He sniffs at the open bottle, looks at Niamh, then moves the neck of the bottle to his mouth. 

He throws his head back and lets the content flow down his throat. Within seconds, the bottle is empty. He sets it down and lets out a delighted sight. Niamh smile. “Tasty isn’t it? Not all are that good.” He giggles, then looks up to them. Niamh tilt their head. “Starting to cooperate? Good. But the next part won’t be as pleasant.” This time they push a glass bottle containing a translucent liquid.

“Now we need to sterilize your cut. You need to pour this over it.” The Salandit nods, but as he reaches for the bottle, Niamh add. “But it _will_ hurt a lot. It’s a type of alcohol." The salandit frowns and seemingly hesitates. Once again, the mention of pain makes him wince. They pick up a piece of wood from their supplies and hand it to the pokemon. “You might want to bite into that. It’s okay if you scream. I won’t judge.”

The young Salandit looks at it, then back at the human. He opens his mouth in protest, then finally takes the piece between his maws. He picks up the glass bottle and look around the cap, before twisting it open. Niamh smiles. “Yes, no security on that one.” The shiny Pokémon looks up to them, fear glittering in the back of his eyes. “It’s gonna be okay. Did you ever burnt yourself before?”

The Salandit tilts his head. He sets the bottle on the ground then picks the wood out of his mouth to open his maw, revealing a pink mouth and tongue, except for a part of his left cheek that was covered in a dark brown thick skin. Niamh wince as they notice it. “First fire?” He nods, closing his mouth and blushing once again. They smile. “Don’t worry. I’ve seen much worse.” The Pokémon frowns. “Salan sa” They can’t help but giggle softly. “Sure, there’s always better but, trust me, don’t think about it this way. It’s a small burn. And not really visible. And you can always pretend that you got it in a fight.”

He tilts his head, squinting his eyes at them. Niamh smirk and show the palm of their left hand, where the scars of a burn can be seen, covering it and forming an exploding pattern on their skin. They twist their hand and point at their index and ring fingers. “My letter box exploded in my hand just as I opened it. Third degree burn, and those two fingers flew right off. It’s not really visible if you look at the back, so not many people see it. But for those who do, I usually tell them that I got it while taming a wild Charizard bare handed.”

The Salandit opens his mouth, then closes it. “Sa… La?” Niamh shake their head, still smiling. “Yeah, no, they most likely don’t believe me, but hey! It’s cooler than losing a bunch of fingers to a kids trick don’t you think?” The Pokémon first snorts, then falls into giggles before bursting into laughter, his high pitch voice melting Niamh’s heart. They join him in laughter, but only for a few seconds before the cut on his cheeks forces him to stop in a squeal. 

Niamh frown, then nod. “Let’s finish this first. Remember your burn?” A tear of pain on the edge of his right eye, he nods. “It will feel similar. But only for a few seconds. You’re a tough guy, you can take it right?” The Salandit twitches at their words. He looks up to the human and smile shyly. Niamh smiles as well. “Then let’s do it.” He closes his eyes again, takes a few deep breaths, then looks up at them, determination filling his eyes.

He place the piece of wood back between his maws and clench on it. He picks up the bottle, still uncapped, and brings it to his wound, his paw shaking softly. He stares at the neck of the bottle, then looks back at Niamh. They try their best to offer a reassuring face. The Salazzle closes his eyes, and suddenly tilts the bottle.

The translucide liquid immediately starts pouring out over his cheek. As soon as it reaches the wound, it starts bubbling all over the cut, revealing exactly how infected it is. Niamh frown, then wince as they hear both the whining of the poor Pokemon and the cracking of the wood between his powerful maws. In a twitch of pain, he lets go of the bottle which falls on the ground, bouncing a couple of times, spilling the content over the dry ground, but somehow not breaking.

Niamh jolt up but stop themselves before they can reach the poor creature. The shiny Pokémon closes his eyes, feeling a burning pain, like the human said, take over his cheek, and soon, the rest of his head, like roots spreading inside his skull. His whine soon grows into a growl, then an all out scream. He falls on his side, covering his cheek with his paws as spasm takes over his body. His tail swipes the rest of the supplies on the ground.

Niamh bite their lips, about to jump in, but before they can set their mind, the movements of the Salandit stops. Laying on his side, he breathes heavily, tears pouring out of his eyes, he slowly looks up to the human, a miserable expression on his face. Niamh feel their heart sink. “I know… I’m sorry… But it’s not over yet.” His eyes widen. Niamh smiles weakly. “I told you. You need to sew the cut before we can use a potion on it. You think you can do that?” His body tenses up, already and rightfully imagining more pain.

Niamh sight, then pick up a small box from the mess his tail left on the ground. Opening it reveals a set of needles and suture. His eyes widen. He looks up to the human and shakes his head. They frown. “It’s necessary little guy. Unless you accept that shot, I can’t kill the pain properly.” The Salandit looks down to the syringe that Niamh prepared earlier, then back to them. “Sal?”

Niamh nod and smile. “Yes, it won’t hurt anymore. Or just a little. But if we do that, I will have to stitch your wound, pretty boy.” He smiles softly at their words again. He slowly sits up. His eyes falls over the medical supplies that he scattered on the ground. “Salan.” The human giggles. “No need to apologies. How should we do it?”

The Salandit looks up to Niamh. He takes a deep breath, blinking several times, before pointing at the syringe. Niamh follow his finger, looking partly surprised, but mostly reassured. They nod and slowly pick it up and remove the cap from the needle. “You realize that I’m going to have to touch you right?”

He breathes in and nods. “Sal.” Niamh smile. “Thank you.” They whisper, moving closer. The Pokemon tenses up but doesn’t stop them. Instead they look up to the human with curiosity. “Sal?” Short giggle. “For trusting me.” They kneel next to him. The two of them share a long mutual stare, thankful for each other. Niamh chuckle, then shake their head. “You might just make this trip worthwhile. Can you open your mouth?”

The Salandit frowns at the first part of their sentence, but before he can think too much into it, his mind shifts on the second half. “Salan? Sal?” Niamh snort. “It’s better if I inject it from inside your mouth. I don’t want to stab something.” Then they pass a hand on their neck. “And mmh… I know Pokémons anatomy, but there’s almost a thousand of you out there, it’s hard to remember every detail of each different body type.”

The shiny Pokemon tilts his head, then giggles. Niamh can’t help but blush at his reaction. “Hey, don’t mock me! Now open your mouth. The sooner we close that nasty cut, the better.” He smiles at them, squinting his eyes teasingly, then opens his mouth. Niamh shake their head. “You’re a weird one.” They let out as they grab his chin and lean to take a better look while smiling internally.

The Salandit shivers at their contact. Niamh raise the syringe, then carefully pushe it in his gaping toothless mouth. After a few seconds of hesitation, they move it toward the left middle of his jaw. Niamh wince as they press the needle against his soft skin. The Pokemon twitches and closes his eyes as he feels the cold needle pierce through, fighting his instinct to close his maw over the hand of the human. Instinct that becomes even stronger as he feels something, almost equally cold, being injected in. 

He starts whining, but suddenly the feeling stops. He opens his eyes just in time to see the human pull the syringe away, and replace it by a small bit of cotton, which spreads a strange taste in his mouth. He looks up at them to be welcomed with a smile. “There. It’s done.” He blinks a few times, then blushes, thinking to himself that it really wasn’t that bad, and that it would have been better to do that earlier. Niamh chuckle, then, after a few seconds, remove the piece of cotton.

“Now we just have to wait a bit until it takes effect, and then we finish this.” They state as they set the used syringe on the ground and pick up the small box containing the stitching kit from earlier. The Salandit wince once again, then let’s out a surprised cry as he notices a strange numbness in his left cheek, slowly spreading to his maw and tongue. The human giggles in answer. “It’s a bit weird the first time. But it won’t last long.” They assure as they slowly and carefully pass the thread through one of the needles.

He carefully observes them, then looks at his fingers. “Saaaalaaan…” He moves one of his paws up to his mouth in surprise. Niamh can’t help but burst in laughter, causing him to blush once again. “You can do that too. You just need to learn how.” He looks up to them and opens his mouth, only able to let out a moan. Niamh gently close it and smile at him. “Let me stitch you. Then we’ll talk more.” They gently turn his head to have a better view of his left cheek, then raise the needle. His eyes frantically switch from it to the human who smiles reassuringly. 

“I know what I am doing pretty boy. Don’t move alright? Trust me just a little more.” His eye focuses on them once again. “Saaaaaaaa…” 

“Shhh… You don’t need to justify that. I know how it feels.”

Niamh jump on the distraction to push the needle into the soft flesh of the Pokémon. He doesn’t react, until he looks back down. His body tenses yet again, but he soon let’s out a soft cry of disbelief. Niamh smile. “I told you. Now stay still, it may feel strange at first.” They carefully pass the thread through before piercing the skin on the other side. 

The Salandit looks up to them. He doesn’t make any sounds, but his interrogations are tangible. Niamh smile, absentmindedly as they continue to work. “I learned to care for Pokémons some years ago. I haven’t really practiced for real, but I’ve been taking care of many ferals, like you.” They giggle. “I wanted to be a trainer for a long time. I even went to a trainer school. That was, until I met a certain person.” They slowly shift position to sit down. “He changed my life in many ways. I learned a lot from him. Too much maybe.” Niamh then shake their head. “But my life isn’t that interesting. I’d love to know yours instead.”

The Salandit’s eyes switched back to the human, now filled with surprised. Niamh tilt their head, slowly reaching halfway through the wound. “Look at you. Why wouldn’t I want to know more? Strong headed, absolutely gorgeous, and just… overall, you look and feel unique. Did you always lived here? So much I want to know.” They wink at him as a soft blush takes over their face. “If I come back here tomorrow, you think you could tell me more?”

The shiny Pokémon looks away and doesn’t answer. Niamh sight. “Sorry.” They shift once again, feeling one of their legs go numb from lack of bloodstream. “Sorry.” They repeat, focusing back on the stitching. Silence heavily falls between the two. The Salandit blushes again, and closes his eyes. Sure, that human is nice. But how to trust one after having to hide from so many for so long? How many trainers use berries and snacks to bring Pokémons out before trying to catch them?

_But this one helped._

He sights. It’s true that most would have jumped on the opportunity. Yet, they offered him food, care, and…

_Didn’t they realized?_

This is the main question plaguing his mind. Most humans easily see through his feeble attempts, but they seem to have fallen for it. However… He opens his eyes, looking back at the expert movement of the human that he could barely feel. 

_They know too much. They must know._

Of course. Of course they have to know. They recognized all the other Pokémons down there, and shown their knowledge far and wide, while taking care of him, but also while facing the mean Salazzle. His gaze turns to her, still on the ground and breathing slowly. 

_Then why?_

Why indeed? Why would they acknowledge him like this? His mind goes back mere minutes ago. _I know how it feels_. They said. It’s true that they do not feel like any other human they’ve met. He’s unable to exactly know where, or why, maybe because of his inexperience with humans. His eyes suddenly turns back on them as he feels a soft pull on his cheek. 

Niamh smile as they cut the thread and carefully tie it up past the last puncture. “We’re about done little guy. It didn’t hurt?” They pull away from his face and start looking into the scattered supplies. The Salandit raises a paw and softly touch the work of the human. To his surprise, it can barely feel the cut anymore. Instead, an intricate work of thread, pulling the skin tight together. He looks up to them and smiles, nodding. 

Niamh smile wider and nods, as they pull out a blue fancy looking bottle. “Good. It’s been a while since my last stitching, glad to see I haven’t lost that. Hold on, it’s almost done.” They raise the bottle up to the stitched wound and start spraying all over it, several times as if applying layers. The Salandit closes his eyes as he notices the liquid coming out, then gasps, feeling a soft stretch around the wound.

Niamh keep going until they empty the bottle, while witch each spray, the Pokemon can feel a soft warmth take over their numb cheek. When they finally set the bottle down, he opens his eyes, and blinks a couple of time. “Sal?” Niamh nods. “It is over.” They happily state as they reach for the bag again, and pull out a mirror. They raise it to face the Pokémon’s face, who gasps. 

He slowly turns his head to the right to face his left side. In disbelief, he raises a paw and passes it over where the wound was mere seconds ago. His eyes set on the human who giggles. “I told you. Your beauty is untouched.” He looks back to his reflection, a smile slowly making its way on his face. “Sal…” He turns back to Niamh. “Salan.” The human can’t help but blush. They set the mirror down and shake their head. “No need to thank me. It’s my fault anyway.” The Salandit tilts his head, then shakes it negatively. “Salan.” Niamh sights. “I gave you the food, I should have…”

They fall silent, then look away. “It doesn’t matter. Now you're okay, it’s all that matters.” The Salandit blinks a couple of times, then smiles. “Salan! Sal, sa, sal, Salan.” Niamh giggle. “I told you you don’t need to thank… Wait what?” They look at the Pokemon with wide eyes. “Really?” They scoff. “I… thanks! It’s really okay with you?” He nods happily. Niamh take a deep breath, then smile even wider than before. “I’ll prepare you a special little treat! You’ll love it!” The Salandit lets out a happy cry while blushing. “Sal… Sa.” Niamh giggle. “I know you’re hun…”

Several panicked cries suddenly raise up from behind them. Niamh turn around to see a man and a woman walking toward the Salazzle, now trying to get up, as the Salandits around her slowly backs in fear. The man grabs a Poke Ball at his hips, and throws it towards the lizard Pokémon. Niamh’s eyes widen, but they don’t have the time to do much more than a silent gasp.

The ball opens a few centimeters away from the Salazzle. She opens her mouth as her entire body turns red. Her form breaks down into a red glow before being sucked into the Pokeball in a matter of seconds. The ball closes, then falls onto the ground. It struggles, twitching helplessly for a moment on the ground as the Salazzle desperately tries to break out. 

_No._

Niamh hear the shiny Salandit gasp while the portable prison weakly twitches again. Their hand reach for the bag and for the taser they used earlier. They raise on their knees.

_No._

The ball feebly twitches once more, but just as Niamh get on their feet, it dies. A red glow on the button on the center of the Poke Ball, followed by a sounding click, indicates the success of the capture.

“No!”


	6. Chapter 6: The power of lies

All sounds die in the immense cavern, except for the furious steps of Niamh, taser in hand. The two trainers turn around just in time to meet Niamh’s crazed gaze before they grab the man by his collar and press the taser against the soft skin of his neck. The woman gasps in surprise and jumps back as the man’s breath dies. He shakingly raises his hands, his face turning even whiter in a heartbeat. He opens his mouth, but simply doesn’t have the time to reply.

“Let her go.” The two trainers share a stressed look. Niamh doesn’t speak. They growl their words. The man swallows, then tries to smile, with no success however. “I’m… I’m sorry w…” 

“I said, let her out.” They stare right into the man’s eyes with an intensity that would surprise themselves if only they could witness it. His semblance of a smile melts away from his face in a matter of seconds. “I don’t… Her? Wh…”

“The fucking Salazzle! Let her go! Now!” Niamh show their teeth as they push the metal fangs of the taser deeper in the man’s skin, causing an involuntary whimper from his part. This time the darker skinned woman intervene, her hands slightly raised toward Niamh in a calming gesture as she slowly walks toward them. “P-please calm down miss… My name is Hanifa. And this is my husband Kyan. Is it your Pokémon? We’ll free it right away if it is…” 

The word “miss”, coupled with the other words she used causes Niamh’s head to snap towards the woman. “No, she’s not mine, but you still will release her or I’ll fry your hubby on the spot, got it?”

“Please!” She stops in her movement, even taking a step back. “Please… Just… calm down… Okay… I’m just going to…”

“N-no please!” Kyan speaks again, despite the cold threat poking his pulsing veins through his skin. “Y-you said it’s not your Pokémon and… It’s a present. For my nephew. Please, just…” 

Regret fills his mind, killing his voice as a new dangerous growl escapes Niamh’s throat who focus their attention back to him. “A present?” They take a deep breath, the hand holding the taser starting to shake from sheer anger. “How old is that nephew?” First surprised, Kyan soon shakes his head. “P-please I just…”

“Answer!” Niamh’s yell shuts him down once again. He closes his eyes, his hands, still raised, shaking. “He’s nine years old… please just…” Niamh snarls and pulls him closer to her face. “You catch a grown up Salazzle for a damn brat? As a fucking present?” 

“Please!” The voice of Hanifa is quickly turning to panic. “He’s a good kid! Why are you acting like this? People capture Pokemon all the time! Even non trainers! What’s so wrong?” Niamh’s gaze once again switch back to the woman. But this time, they cannot find a better answer than just breathing heavily. They look down trying to make sense of what is actually happening. They glare at the taser and wince. “Just… Just release the Salazzle. Catch a Salandit if you want but leave that Salazzle alone.” They did not appear calm by any means, but at least didn’t look about to explode anymore.

Kyan shakes his head, gaining back some composure from the sudden more composed reaction of Niamh. “But why? It’s not your Pokémon! Why would you care like that? It’ll have a good home.” Niamh shoots him an angry look, but still answers with a relative calm. “Because Salazzles have harems of males that they take care of. Taking her away will send them in panic. It’ll take days or months, maybe even years before another one evolves and takes her place. So…” They take a deep breath and suddenly move the taser from Kyan’s throat to his crotch. The two metal bits must have pierced through the fabric of his pants since he starts to whine.

Niamh looks up right into his eyes. The burning anger from earlier is now replaced by a much colder and calmer one. “So you will release that Salazzle that _I_ have beaten, alone, without any Pokemon. Keep that in mind if you want kids.” He closes his eyes, probably not wanting to stare back at the person threatening him. “F-fine! B-but please just… just leave us!” Niamh finally looks away. “Good.”

They move back, releasing Kyan who falls on his knees. Hanifa immediately runs to him, avoiding to look at Niamh. They, however, stare at the couple. What just happened? They look down at the taser that they are still holding tightly in their hand. Niamh blink. Several times. They look back again at the two people they just assaulted. The couple ignores Niamh. Kyan is massaging his neck where the taser bit his skin while Hanifa tries to reassure both him and herself. 

Niamh’s grip on their weapon softens. 

_They’re just people._

Niamh take a deep breath, then look back at the shiny Salandit, still sitting in the middle of their scattered supplies. He’s looking worryingly at the couple, but as soon as he notices Niamh’s gaze, he focuses his attention on them. His eyes are filled with surprise and incomprehension, and of course, fear. Niamh looks away, ashamed. 

_What’s gotten into you?_

They close their eyes. Maybe Amelia is right. This hate they just experience… It’s not right. They lost total control. Just like that Salazzle did. Before they...

_That’s right, it’s your fault._

They remember something their tutor told them during one of their summer jobs after she helped Niamh dealing with an angry customer. _“Imagine how bad this guy must feel to come up here at barely six a.m and scream his lungs out about a bag of potato?”_

Opening their eyes, they once again look at the taser. 

_“Hey it's not easy okay? I grew up with the idea that Pokémons love fighting. Like you.”_

Amelia’s words storm back into their mind, followed with a powerful wave of guilt that brings tears at the edges of their eyes. They gasp for air, as if punched in the chest. They look over the couple, only now taking in exactly what they just did. “I’m… I’m so sorry.” Hanifa looks up, only to find the person that attacked them mere seconds ago, now on the edge of tears. Niamh looks down again. They take a deep breath then walk to the Poke Ball and lean to pick it up, only to hear a sounding shout.

“Stop!”

Two women chimes in, walking up the ramp, Poke Balls in hand. They both wear shorts and blue shirts presenting different and colorful geometries. One of them smiles happily, as if oblivious to the situation, however, the look she offers Niamh proves otherwise. They stand up, staring intensely at the newcomers. It isn’t hard to recognize them. Pictures of people dressed like them are all over every Alola web page.

The second woman doesn’t try to act innocent. In fact, she arbores a very hostile glare as she speaks up, scowling at Niamh. “We’re trial guides. You don’t look like a trial goer. None of you.” She adds, glancing quickly at the couple. Hanifa is helping her poor shaking husband to get up. “No. We’re not. We came here to find a Salazzle.” He says, his voice staggering slightly. The eyes of the guide soften. But doesn’t allow herself to smile just yet. “Which is fine.” She then turns to Niamh with her colleague. “And you?” 

Niamh frowns. They eye in the direction of the Salandit, surprised to see him still sitting there, his eyes bouncing from one human to the other. They back away from the Poké Ball, lowering their taser. “I’m not a goer either.” The smiling guide raises an eyebrow. “And why are you here?” Niamh open their mouth, but doesn't answer. 

_I’m here to find a Salandit._

They look away, the taste of hypocrisy once again tainting their mouth. 

_It’s different. I don’t want to catch him. I want to offer him…_

_What? A chance to leave his natural habitat?_

“Well then?” The smiling guide forces Niamh back to the real world. “I’m here on vacation.” 

“Vacation?” The angry looking guide asks. “People who come on vacation go to the beach. They visit the cities. Eat Malasada. They don’t come here. And they don’t feed feral Pokémons.” 

_You don’t know if you’ll be able to take care of him anyway. You can barely take care of yourself._

Niamh close their eyes and take a deep breath. “Well I do. I love Pokémons.”

“Like a lot of people here.” Niamh twitch at the words of the angry guide. “Do you even have Pokémons?” 

Niamh blush. “No. No I don’t.”

_Oh I see. You really started to see yourself as special huh? Idiot. You think he’d even follow you? Pathetic._

Silence. The smiling guide walks closer. “So… you’re not a trial goer… you’re here on vacation, but you’re not a trainer either. You walk into a Pokémon infested cave and sit into tall grass, where Pokémons are known to hide, without hesitation…”

The second, angrier guide continues. “And then you beat the shit out of a Salazzle. Honestly, I would have a lot of respect for you.” She poses for a moment, then crosses her arms and adds. “If you didn’t threaten two innocent civilians.” 

Niamh wince. They close their eyes, a soft blush finding its way upon their cheeks. Indeed. It was the worst way to react but… “Like you said, I beat the shit out of that Salazzle. It’s mine.” They bite their lips, disgusted at their own words. “And those two just caught it out of the blue. I may have overreacted but…” 

“Overreacted?” Hanifa explodes, causing Niamh to jump in surprise. They look over at the woman to see her up on her feet, her face all red. Niamh wince once again as they feel the storm coming. “You attacked my husband! You yelled at him! Called our nephew a brat!” She continues, lashing out while pointing at Niamh who could only look away in shame. “You could have just told us!”

Still on the ground, Kyan joins in nevertheless, speaking to the two guides. “She said that the Salazzle isn’t hers. There’s no reason we can’t catch it! She just said something about Salazzles having harems…” The two guides turn to Niamh, expectantly. “So? What is it? Catch it or not?” Niamh takes a few steps back toward the shiny Pokémon and their bag. “I…” 

The smiling guide looks over to the lone Salandit, then notices the bag and all the medical supplies scattered on the ground. She shoots another inquisitive look to Niamh while they take another step. “The Salazzle hurt this Salandit. I helped him.” The guide once again raises an eyebrow. “Why not bring it to a Pokemon center?” Niamh sights. “Because Pokemon center stopped caring about minor injuries long ago, and it would have left a mark. Plus he did not want to go there.” 

“And how would you know?” Hanifa spew at them. This time, it’s Niamh’s turn to avoid her gaze. “Because he told me.” 

“Bullshit.” 

The other guide stomps her foot on the ground. “Everyone calm down!” She looks at Niamh. “So, that Salazzle isn’t yours then?” Niamh frowns. They look at the scared Salandit, then back. “No. No she’s not.”

“Then why did you beat her up?”

“Because she hurt the Salandit.” The smiling guide let out a surprised groan. “Salazzle don’t usually beat up their harem.” Niamh takes a deep breath. “He’s not part of it.” The other guide shot an angry glare at her colleague. “It doesn’t matter why. The question is why do you care to the point of attacking people.” They state, turning to Niamh. “If I follow, this Salazzle hurt this Salandit, so you come up here, beat up the Salazzle, heal the Salandit, and then attack those two people because they captured the Pokemon who hurt yours?”

_You had to be a dumbass and make a show right?_

The smiling guide crosses her arms. “Is the Salandit even hers?” Niamh freeze. They glance quickly at the shiny Pokemon, this time hoping he would run away, but of course, he doesn’t. The angry guide finally smiles. A smile that turns Niamh’s blood into liquid ice. “Well, she’s not a trainer, so I bet for a good old’ no.” 

“Then what to do with it? If it was hurt like she said, we can’t leave it here.” 

Niamh growls. “I told you I took care of him. He’s healed and fine.” The smiling guide turns to them. “How?”

“How what?”

“How did you heal it?”

“He was cut. I cleaned and stitched his wound. Once the anaesthetic wears off he’ll be…” This time it’s the angrier guide, still smirking, who shines in. “Anaesthetic? What, are you working in a Poke Center?”

“No, I…”

“How did you administer it?”

“Oral injection. Look...”

“So with a needle and all?”

“Yes! How else? I just...”

“How do you know that?”

“How do I know what?” 

“How to do that?”

Niamh breathes in, ready to answer, but prefer to bite their lips. “That doesn’t concern you.” The smiling guide raises a hand. “Actually it does. If you’re not qualified to apply proper care to a hurt feral Pokemon, we’ll have to bring it to a Poke Center.” She states, pulling a Poke Ball from her pocket. This catches Niamh off guard. They look over at the Shiny, then back at the guides.

“W-wait! I was an apprentice to become an expert Pokemon! I can assure you he’s all fine now!” The smile of the angry looking guide grows wider. “Apprentice? Was? So you didn’t made it huh?” 

“I… No. B-but…” 

“Then you’re useless.” Niamh’s heart sinks in their chest. They take a step back, their eyes fully filling with tears this time.

_Niamh’s waiting alone in their room, eyes fixated on the fire and poison symbol decorating the carpet of their room. They breath is fast, stuttering. Their door suddenly burst open. Standing in the frame of the door is a tall man wearing a lab coat over a naked chest, and a simple jean. Niamh jolts up._

_“I don’t understand professor! You said my studies are promising!”_

_“Promising? You mean inconsiderate? What? My ideas, my studies, what I taught you, my entire life’s work isn’t enough?”_

_“Of course! But… I want more! You always told us to explore our ideas!”_

_“And that was is an invitation to say that everything I have done is a fucking joke?”  
“N-no! I never said that! Please listen to me! I just… I love them so much I want to make something more for them! It’s so unfair that..._

_“Oh you’re so special! Look at you, what a fucking attention seeker. Is this what you were working on while gobbling your faggot hormones locked in your room? Pathetic. What a fucking waste of time!”_

_“Please professor! I respect your work! I just think there must be another…”_

_“Shut up! Shut your fucking mouth! I’m through with your whining! Your constant apologies and all that fucking act! I see who you are now. No more.”_

_“No more? Oh no! Please! I’m sorry! I’ll… I’ll drop all that! I’ll follow your studies! Don’t send me away I beg you! This is all I have!”_

_“Oh I won’t send you away. I know you’ll leave. Why would you stay anyway? You know this is above you. Way out of your league...”_

Niamh suddenly hit the hot wall of the cavern, snapping them back to reality. They blink several times, finding themselves sobbing. They pass a hand on their cheek, only to find it covered in tears. The two guides are still standing in front of the couple, their faces expressing the utmost confusion. Niamh shake their head, trying to get their thoughts in order. They look over at the shiny Pokemon who’s attention is now entirely focused on them.

“P-please… Leave the Salandit… He doesn’t want to go to a Center. He doesn’t even like to be touched!” Hanifa shakes her head then steps in front of the guides. “We can take care of it.” Niamh’s head snap back at the humans. “What?” But Hanifa ignores them. “We can take care of it. We’ll take it to a Pokemon Center and make sure that it’s okay.” The two guides share a look, then a glance toward Niamh, before nodding in approval. 

“That sounds only fair after what that nut job did to the both of you.” The angry guide says. Niamh gags.

_No... please no…_

They look down at their shaking hands, one still holding the taser. 

_Don’t be stupid, you can’t do that._

_They’ll get you._

_And then you’ll loose him forever._

_You know what to do._

_You know how to make it right._

Niamh shake their head while Hanifa grabs a Poke Ball from her pocket.

_Hurry._

_They’re going to take him._

_Hurry._

_Remember… Just in case._

“Stop!” Niamh says, out of breath. Hanifa freezes as all head turns to them. They look at each of the people in front of them, unable to make a decision.

_I can’t do that…_

But a soft worried whimper from the Salandit gets them back on their feet. “The Salandit is mine.”

The two guides raises their eyebrows. The angry one smirks. “What now?” Hanifa shows her teeth. “What a load of bullshit… You said you’re not a…”

“True but...” Niamh starts as they walk toward the Salandit. His eyes jump from them to Hanifa in utter confusion. Niamh close their eyes for a moment, take a deep breath, then look over Hanifa. “That doesn’t mean I can’t catch a Pokémon. Right?” She frowns, confused. “What?” The angry guide crosses her arms. “So you planned to catch it?” 

Her colleague suddenly gasps, snapping her fingers in the air. “The food!” The other one turns to her, again with an annoyed expression. “What food?”

“The food she was giving to the ferals! It was to bring it closer! We saw her give it a bigger batch than any other Pokémon.” The angry looking one raise a hand to her face, shaking her head. “Yeah, and that idiot ran to the Sala…” She stops in her sentence, eyes filling with revelation. “You did that on purpose!” She suddenly exclaims, pointing at Niamh who look away. 

They hear a new whimper and look up to the shiny Pokémon who’s gaze now alternates between them and the guides, before finally setting on Niamh, incomprehension filling his eyes. “Sal?” They bite their lips, then force themselves to focus back on the guides. “Yes.”

“And then…” The second guide continues. “You heal it, but those two come in and catch the Salazzle. Of course that would wreck your plans.” Niamh close their eyes, realizing now how bad all this looked for someone unaware. But right now, it might just play in their favor. 

Hanifa suddenly shakes her head. “That just makes things worse then! You attacked us for an act? Just to pretend so you get that Pokemon? And you say that with a straight face after lecturing us?” Niamh focus on her, trying their best to keep a straight face, and simply nods. Hanifa frowns. “You should be ashamed.” 

_I am._

Niamh sights and ignore her. They walk over to the Salandit who doesn’t take his eyes away from them. “Sal?” With a stutter in their breath, Niamh painfully ignores him and kneel in front of their still open bag, dropping the taser on the ground. They slide one of their hands in, then pulls out a red and white Poke Ball. They hear a heart crushing gasp from the Pokemon behind them and clench their fingers around the Ball. They look back. 

The Salandit is staring at the ball with wide eyes. His lower maw starts to shiver as his eyes very slowly move up to meet Niamh’s, displaying a feeling of absolute betrayal. Niamh stares back, their fake neutral expression slowly breaking down under the realization of what they are about to do. 

Unable to take it they close their eyes and take a deep breath. They raise the Pokeball with a shaking hand. They only hear a broken “Salan?” Before they open the Ball with one hand. The familiar distorted sound of a capture reach their ears, resonating in their head a thousand times louder than it should be. Unlike the Salazzle, he doesn’t fight. Nor cries.

A defeated “Sal…” Is the last thing Niamh hear before the Ball closes back in their hand. They open their eyes, still somehow hoping to find the Pokemon sitting there, but of course, he’s not. They don’t even have the time to look down at the Ball that they hear the _‘click’._

They exhale violently, their entire body starting to shake. They look down at the Ball, their pale fingers weakly wrapped around it. 

_Good job Niamh._

They get up slowly, holding the Ball against their chest in a desperate and late attempt to reassure the poor Pokémon. 

_You did it once again. You got a knack for that._

They slowly turn around to face the guides and couple. Their face is emotionless, yet covered in dried tears from their crisis from earlier. Their blood filled eyes stare at the nothingness in the distance.

_You ruined everything._

Niamh breathes in slowly, and close their eyes. “There. It’s done.” They turn around and kneel. They set the Ball on the ground before they pull their bag up and start to pick all the scattered supplies. They take the time to close them and set them back in order before starting to stack them in. It takes a few seconds for the others to react, and even then, Hanifa is the first to.

“You’re joking right? She’s joking right?” But Niamh doesn’t even look back, focusing on the task at hand to keep their mind from processing what just happened. They hear footsteps and soon the two guides appear in their vision. “Yes?” They ask, not even bothering to look up. “You won’t get off that easily.” The angry-looking guide warns. Niamh shrugs. “Sure. They can sue me. I fucked up. I won’t lie.” 

Silence. 

The other guide leans in. “You’re okay?” Niamh scoffs. “Don’t start pretending now.” They smile. A very sad looking smile, and shake their bag, suddenly feeling too lazy to actually try and order everything. “You don’t care. I’m the asshole here. I get it.” They finally pick up the taser and toss it in before half closing their bag. They grab the Poke Ball and finally get up. They turn around to face the couple. Both are standing up now. 

Niamh pull their bag over their shoulder and shrugs once again. “I’m sorry. My name is Niamh Haide. Do what you want with that.” 

Silence.

Niamh sights. “You’re not going to say anything?” Kyan shakes his head. “What is there to say?”

“I don’t know. Curse at me. Lash out more. Tell me how you’re going to ruin my life for that. I got it coming right?” They once again move the Poke Ball near their chest. Both share a look. Hanifa walks over the Poke Ball holding the Salazzle. “You’re sick.” Niamh raise an eyebrow. Kyan nods in agreement. “Would you really have tased me?”

Niamh doesn’t answer directly. They look away. “I don’t know. I’ve never tased a person with that thing before though. It’s made for Pokemons. Not humans.” They take a deep breath, then pull their bag. They take out a small paper bag. “I prepared that for the Salandit, but I fucked that up too. And I can always make more.” They state as they walk toward the couple. Both tense up, but Niamh simply stops in front of them and hands them the bag.

Hanifa eyes it suspiciously. “What is that? Poison?” Niamh shakes their head. “Candies. Works with humans, but made for Pokemons. They love them.”

“Where did you get them?”

“I make them. Give them to the Salazzle. As an apology.” Kyan frowns. “Of everyone here, we’re the ones who deserve an apology.” Niamh can’t help but chuckle. “It’s a little too late for that now is it?” Hanifa gaze at their face, then grab the bag. “Why did you apologized?” Niamh looks away once again. “Because none of this is your fault.” 

They turn around to be met by the two guides. “You’re coming with us.” The smiling one says. Niamh nods. “I suppose. What happens now?” 

“We accompany you to the Poke Stop. You get that Pokemon healed.” Niamh raise an eyebrow. But before they can say anything, the angry one steps in. “And we’ll signal you to the authority.” Niamh nods. “Makes sense. Will I get arrested?”

“That depends on them.” She answers, pointing at the couple. Niamh nods. “Fair.” They turn to leave, but the guide grabs their arm. They lock eyes. “Those people are Alolan. So you’ll probably and most likely be fine. But I can tell you that…”

“Please don’t.” Hanifa takes a few steps towards them, holding the bag against her chest. “Don’t do that. I don't know why she did that… But she clearly needs help.” She turns to Niamh who now stares down at the deserted pic-nic area. “I promise the Salazzle will be happy. That kid is a good kid.” She pauses, probably expecting an answer from Niamh that never comes. She finally lets out a sight and looks away. “Listen… I know a few people that…”

“Don’t.” Niamh finally says. They blink and look over to the woman in front of them, the woman they attacked. Who’s now trying to help them. Hanifa tilts her head, clearly confused. “What? Don’t what?”

“Don’t do that. The pity thing there. Just don’t.”

“It’s not pity.”

Niamh scoff. “Then what is it?”

“It’s called kindness. You’re not used to it, aren't you?” Niamh frowns at this. They look away. “That doesn’t matter. Just stop.” Hanifa raises an eyebrow. “Why?” Niamh let out an annoyed growl and glare at her. “Because I wouldn’t do the same for you. You’re just wasting it.” Hanifa shakes her head and scoffs as well. “Kindness doesn’t need appreciation. In fact, it’s not really kindness if you expect something from it.” 

Niamh turns around, clenching their teeth. “Are you done with the lecture?” Chuckle. “Sure. You suck at lying, by the way.” Surprised, Niamh looks back to find Hanifa smirking. They look away once again, confused, then sight. They look up to the guides. “Well? I have things to do. Let’s go.” The two exchange a look, check over the couple, then nod. They point for Niamh to lead the way, to which they oblige. 

The Poke Ball still tightly pressing against their chest, Niamh head towards and down the slope to the second level. They keep their eyes to the ground, tears threatening to pour out at any moment. As they reach the second level, they head towards the grass. They raise their other free hand before the two guides can even think to object. “I need to pick up my stuff. I’ll be quick.” 

The shuffle through the yellow grass until they reach the now deserted picnic area. They sight and kneel down. Plates and half eaten food are scattered over and outside the cloth they set earlier, as if the Pokemons left in a hurry, which is obviously the case. They pull their bag from their back and open it. They set the Poke Ball on the ground carefully, start stacking up the used plates and empty or half empty boxes while wondering when exactly the creatures left. When they attacked the Salazzle? The humans? Or when they betrayed the trust of the Salandit?

They mark a pause and close their eyes at this very thought, their breath stuttering for a few seconds. 

_Not yet. Hold on a little longer._

They take a deep breath and shove all in their bag without further ceremony. They pick up and fold the cloth before shoving it in as well. They close the bag and toss it over their shoulders once again. Niamh pick up the Poke Ball and turn around. “Done.” They walk out of the grass and head toward the second slope, the guides following closely. One of them, the smiling one, walks faster to reach Niamh’s level.

“How did you know you wouldn’t get attacked?” Niamh doesn’t even look back when they answer. “They saw me beat up a Salazzle. They wouldn’t try anything.” The guide shakes her head. “No I mean, before?” Niamh turn their head slightly toward her, before looking back forward. “Oh that. I didn’t intended to hurt them.” The guide turns her head to look at Niamh’s stoic face. “How could they possibly know that?” Niamh sight. “They can feel it. Or even see it. Pokemons knows more than you can imagine about us.”

The guide lets out a pensive sight then looks up. “So they just knew? Why do they attack random people then sometimes?” Niamh takes a deep breath. In other situations, they would have hated that kind of discussion. But right now, anything to keep their mind from thinking too much is welcome. “Well there are many reasons. Either they have family nearby, had a bad experience with a human before, exemple trainers, are hunting, or got startled. Some are simply desperate.”

The guide frowns. “Desperate? How?” Niamh finally looks back to her. “Humans are making it harder and harder to survive in the wild. So much trainers. Many of their natural environments are becoming public places. Like this place.” They say, designing the cave with a large movement of their arm as they start walking down the slope. “How are they suppose to hunt and eat here? They are too busy hiding from trainers.”

“I heard some Pokémons actually attack trainers for a chance to be captured.”

“Yes. Some do that. Others attack non trainers hoping to get some food or supplies.”

“I see. You had food though. Why not attack you then?”

“For the same reason I said.”

“You said they didn’t feel threatened. But if they attack for food, those people must not make them feel threatened too.”

“True. But they attack those that are afraid. The easiest prey. I was not.”

“Mmh… understandable. So you’re really a Pokemon expert then?” 

Niamh wince and looks away. “Aspiring. I quit years ago.”

“Really? Why?” Niamh groans. “Because reasons.” The other guide suddenly decides to shine in. “And who was your tutor?” Niamh sights. “Do I have to answer those?” The smiling guide giggles. “No, but it’s better than the awkward silence until we reach the Poke Center right?” Niamh shake their head and roll their eyes. “Professor Teak.”

The two guides immediately stop dead in their tracks. Niamh stop as well after a few more steps. They turn around and tilt their head. “What?” The two are staring at them in disbelief. “The professor Teak?” The smiling guide asks. Niamh sight. “Yes, the one and only.” The angry guide shakes her head. “You’re lying. He doesn’t take that many apprentices. Even his own adoptive daughter had a hard time convincing him they say.” The other guide nods in agreement. “Yes. You probably don’t even know that he has a student here, in Alola!” She states smiling proudly. 

Niamh can’t help but chuckle. “Julien? Yes I know. We dated. For a time. A nice guy.” They smile at the guides faces and pull out the pager that their friend gave them. “He was kind enough to land me this for the duration of my trip. I also know the doc’s daughter since I lived with them during my studies.” They add as they set the pager back to their pocket. “She’s one of the reasons I came here in the first place.”

The two guides exchange a look, then stare at Niamh as if they saw them for the first time. “Why did you left then?” The smiling one asks. Niamh looks away. “Reasons.” They state once again. “Can we keep moving?” They don’t wait for their answers and immediately start walking toward the exit glowing gently from the warm sun outside. They hear the two guides run to catch up with them. They both place themselves on each side of Niamh this time.

“How long since you left?” The angry one asks. Niamh sight once again but accept that they will have to answer their questions. “Few years.” The other guide beams in. “But you healed that Salandit. How hurt was he?”

“A cut was baring his whole cheek. It was bleeding a lot.”

“If it’s been years it must have been hard.”

“I take care of Pokémons near where I work. Lots of trainers so I keep my skills sharp. It’s been a while since I stitched a wound however. But it’s tough to lose that. It took a lot of practice. So it’s hard to forget.”

“Where do you work then?”

“At a Poke Shop.”

“Like, clerk?”

“Like, owner.” The two guides once again share a look as the group finally exit the cave. Even under the harsh sun of the island, Niamh feels a breath of fresh air hit them as they escape the tough temperature of the Volcano park. They stop, followed by the guides and close their eyes for a moment, letting their eyes adapt to the newfound light, before resuming the walk back to the Royale Avenue. 

The guides, still following closely, don’t seem to be quite satisfied yet. “Is this how you can have all those medical supplies out of the blue?” Niamh nods. “Indeed. It’s my store. I order them in extra for the emergency service I propose.” The other one jumps in again. “Emergency? What’s that?”

“The place I work in is a few hours away from any city and Poke Center. So I offer to heal Pokemons.” She shakes her head. “You’re a weird one.” To which Niamh smirks. “Yeah. I get that a lot.” The guide’s eyes move down to the Poke Ball still held tight against Niamh’s chest. “So this little one is really all good?” They sight and roll their eyes again. “ _Yes._ I told you already.” The guide then leans to make sure her face is within their view and smirks. “Then we’ll see about that. We’re almost there.”

Niamh shoots her an exasperated look and press their steps. This is much more unpaid social interaction than they are comfortable with and they can’t wait to be left alone again. Alone to face the guilt and disgust creeping under their skin. It only takes a few more minutes to walk past the store and in front of the Dome to finally reach the Poke Center. The slinging door opens on it’s own before Niamh who enter without a pause.

The entrance floor is made out of wood but soon open to some neatly polished stone, and conclude in the center of the room by a complex sculpture of a Poke Ball in some red stone, covered with a glass plate. In front of the entrance stands the colorful blue red and white reception. On its right, the usual small stand selling basic Pokemon supplies, and on the left, to Niamh’s surprise, a lovely little coffee shop made entirely from wood in a strange contrast and yet adequation to the overall aesthetic of the place. The barista, an old man with a large belly, addresses them a warm smile that they would probably have reciprocated in another situation.

The entire place falls silent when the trio gets in. The few clients, a handful people, mostly sitting casually near the bar stare at Niamh and the guides, before exchanging concerned looks. Trial Guides rarely leave their spots as they are tasked, as their name implies, to help the trial goers, and Wela Volcano Park and it’s trial is recognized to be one of the first real roadblock of the Island tour. For them, it’s more than unusual to see those Guides far from their post, and, most importantly, escorting someone. Soon enough, the looks Niamh gets change from curious, to weary.

They notice but decide to ignore it. They look down to the Poke Ball tucked against their chest as they head straight to the main colorful reception. The man waiting there offers them a wide smile. He is wearing a very simple pink attire consisting of a shirt and pants. “Hello! Welcome to the Pokemon Center! Do you want to heal your Pokemons?” Niamh force themselves to smile as well. “I just want you to confirm that this one is all fine thank you.” They say, handing the Poke Ball to him.

His smile becomes confused but he grabs the Ball anyway. “Very well, I will take it for a few seconds then.” Niamh nods and pull their hand back. Or try, as they only tug on the Ball, adding to the confusion of the man. They frown, then forcefully and painfully unlatch their tense fingers from the ball. The sudden release of pressure reveals Niamh just how hard they have been clenching on the Poke Ball. They close then open their hand a couple of times, frowning as they feel the joints cracking loudly and painfully. They see the two guides lean on the counter as the man turns around and places the single Poke Ball in the healing machine. It lights up. The screen above follows, and soon displays a basic picture of the Salandit in its natural fighting stance.

Niamh looks away as a cheerful little tune plays out during the healing process. Even as a simple picture they can’t help but see this betrayed expression on his face. They only open their eyes after they hear the man pick up the Poke Ball again. The man turns around and sets the Poke Ball on the counter. Appearing even more confused now, he looks up to Niamh. “This Salandit was already in perfect health. If strangely tired. You can have it back. Congratulation for the shiny.” Niamh snorts humorlessly and pick the Ball back up. As if he only now noticed the two guides, he addresses them a concerned look. They ignore him and instead focuses on Niamh.

“Tired? What does he mean?” The angry one asks Niamh. They sight and turn around. “The anaesthetic hasn’t totally worn off yet.” The other one lets out a soft gasp. “That must be why you could catch it so easily!” Niamh looks down, realizing it as well. The other guide giggles. “You sure though about everything huh?” Niamh clench their teeth and shoots her an irritated look before turning to face her. “You’re done? The Salandit is fine, like _I told you multiple times._ Can I leave now?” The guide frowns as a heavy silence falls over the room. The second, kinder guide gently lays a hand on her colleague’s shoulder and pulls her away. “You’re free to go.”

Niamh continues to stare at the guide for a few seconds, then close their eyes and walk off. They pass the automatic door of the Center and immediately walk, or almost jog, towards the Battle Royale Dome. They pass the automatic door and rush through the main hall, directly to the left. Once in the corridor, they give a glance at the elevator but only consider it for a split second before running up the stairs.

As they jump the steps four by four, they pull their bag and start shuffling through until they find the key. It takes them a moment to make the key fit with all the shaking, causing multiple scratches on the golder surface of the keyhole. Eventually the key complies and slides it. Niamh doesn’t waste a single second and unlocks the door before kicking it open. The pull the key out violently toss it on the ground.

Next is their bag, that they grab with their only free hand, and launch violently against the wall. It hits with a loud slamming sound that must be heard in the next room. As it is still open, the content splatters all over the floor. They clench their fist and stare at the mess they just made, boxes of food and priceless medical supplies scattered all around. They look at one of the boxes which fell at their feet and immediately kick it. Then the next one, and the next one. At the fourth, the box, still full of snacks, bounce against the bed and falls back in front of them. 

Breathing heavily, they raise their right foot and slam it down on the box, crushing it and causing several pieces of plastics to break and project around the room as the actual food ends up smashed and splattered on the carpet of the room. They groan in anger and lift the hand carrying the Poke Ball to their face they stare at it, first with a face torn with anger. But soon, that mask melts away, revealing a defeated, devastated frown. 

Niamh falls on their knees, tears finally allowed to flow freely out of their eyes. The growls turn to whimpers, which themselves turn to sobs. Slowly and carefully, Niamh places the Poke Ball on the bed, their hands shaking. “I’m sorry…” They cover their face, closing their eyes so hard, as if it would shut them from the pain they just inflicted. And not only to themselves. “I’m so sorry… I never should have come here. I’m…”

_Worthless._

They stare down at the stained carpet, then reach for their pocket. They pull out their phone and unlock the screen. They tap a few times and, with a blank expression, move the phone over to their ear. A voice comes through.

“Hello! This is Lugiair travel agency! Can I help you?” Niamh nods, despite the person on the other side of the line unable to see them. “Yes. I am Niamh Haide.” Short pause while the person taps on a loud keyboard. “Ah yes, currently in Alola right? How is it? I’m going to have to confirm your identity miss. Can you give me your address? Are you still living in Tridiangrad?” Niamh nods again. “Yes. 25 Forver lane, 13953-03 Vintarian City.”

“Phone number?”

“Forthy-five seventy-six, ninety-four thirteen.”

“Thank you miss. How can I be of service?” Niamh takes a deep breath. “I want to leave.” Silence. “You arrived this morning ma’am, right?”

“Yes. But I… I had a change of heart. I want to leave as soon as possible.”

“Do… do you want to go somewhere else maybe? I could…”

“I just want to go home.” Niamh takes in a deep shivering breath. “Please. I don’t care if I have to pay. Just get me home as soon as you can.” Silence again. Then the tapping resume. “I won’t be able to send you back tonight. The first available boat for tomorrow will be around noon. You’ll then have a four hour wait for your flight. Is that okay?” A sob escapes Niamh who once again nods uselessly. “Y-yes…” Silence falls again, although this time it is much heavier. With a much lower tone, the employee answers. “Your tickets authorize such a change. I will do that right away. You’ll receive a mail with your new tickets.” Then, after a short pause. “Take care of yourself on the way home alright?” Niamh blushes deeply, suddenly really happy to do this over the phone. They sight. “I will. Thank you.” 

Niamh pull the phone away and hang up, then drop it to the ground. They look back to the Poke Ball, in their relative newfound calm, and sight. They climb on the bed and sit in front of it, staring at the reflective surface covered with fingerprints. They scoff. “You know, that Ball was a present. From my father. I think it was the only time he spoke to me because he wanted to. Not because mom asked him to. He told me that when he was young, he tried to become a trainer, but never really managed to be good at it. So he bailed and took a job in the city. Back then I had abandoned my trainer dream already, so I said I didn’t want to try. He looked saddened. But still told me to keep it. Just in case. And you know what? I did.”

Niamh chuckles and lays a hand on the Poke Ball, caressing it gently. “My father was not good at being a father. He wasn’t very good at anything. Expect watching television. Oh that… that he was great at. Can’t really blame him though.” They slowly shift to lay down next to the ball. “He had started his own company back in the day. And it was doing great. Still is. Though… He made the mistake of falling in love with my mom. He was busy. Earned a lot of money. My mom was all glitters. She put up a fancy front to catch his eye, and it worked. Then she did what her mom told her to do. She made him a baby.”

Niamh pull the Poke Ball closer, wraps their arms around it and hug it tight against their chest. “Cue the whole getting married, then depressed, not exactly in that order. He got no support from his family, forced to buy a house. So he sold his company under the excuse to become a full time dad. He never did. Spoilers. I heard he got excited during some of the echographies. He didn’t want to hear the gender, but he was convinced I would be a girl. He became so obsessed and delusional, he colored the room they prepared for me in pink. Because you know, all girls just have to love pink. Only to finally change it to white when I arrived” They smile, then close their eyes.

“He never liked me. Because I wasn’t a girl. Or… you know, looking like one. Genitals and stuff. He would always tell the story of how I pissed on him the first time he tried to change me when I arrived home. It’s honestly hilarious that he held such a grudge against a baby but, let’s be honest. He never wanted me in the first place so, whatever?” Their smile slowly fade. “And then he died. Suicide. My mom and him had a fight, so he actually hanged himself in the spare room he was sleeping in. My mom didn’t even realise. I found him, after my mom told me to bring him his dinner. Funniest is, I didn’t even screamed or cried after opening the door. Eleven years old me… ultimately didn’t care. Why would I? I barely knew him. He ignored me all the time. Only interacting when, again, mom would tell him to.”

Niamh sight and open their eyes, now staring at the difformed reflection of their face in the Ball. “I thought I was some sort of monster. Lots of people at the funerals cried and I was just… there. Not understanding. Not… _feeling._ Something must be wrong with me. I felt frustrated. Different. Maybe for the first time. I eventually cried. Out of being inadequate. Feeling selfish. So I tried to learn. You know, how to feel. I would look at people. See how they act. When they are angry. Sad. I became good at that. At pretending. Pretending I was like everybody else. But I wasn’t. It took me years to understand that. And also to understand that… nothing was wrong with me, for being different. That I, just like my father, didn’t got to choose.”

They take a deep breath. “In the end, no one gets to choose. We do our best with the little we’ve got. And sometimes, our best is surviving year after year. Hoping for a better that never comes.” They chuckle again. “But I got chances. And you know what I did with them? I ruined them. I wasted my opportunity to become a trainer, blowing away a very supportive teacher for a road that I found better and purer. Then I got the opportunity to become a Pokémon expert. But I blew it off again. Because I had to show off my difference. Because here’s the thing. It’s okay to be different. As long as no one sees it.

“And then, there’s you.” They take a deep, slightly stuttering breath. “A shining gem. Kind. Adorable. Different, like me. And just like me, it ruins everything, despite how hard you try. Looks like… the difference between humans are Pokemons is even thinner than I thought. None of us has a choice.” They sight and bury their face in the sheets for a moment, as if to hide the flow of emotions rushing through them, menacing to poor through again. They stay like this for several seconds. When their face pops out, their eyes are drowning in tears.

“I mean… we always have choices. B-but… they are hard. L-like really. M-my father c-could have left. N-never marry my life-sucker of a mother. Pay child support with his successful company. Maybe it w-would have been better. But he didn’t. Maybe he wouldn’t have died like this. Maybe he would have been happy. Maybe he could have been a b-better father, later down the line. Or even better, not a f-father at all. I could have fought professor Teak. F-fight for my future. Maybe it would have been for nothing. Maybe it would have worked. Maybe I should have been better for my friends. Maybe I should have been better. Maybe… Maybe I’m just not enough. Too weak or too stubborn. Too apathetic or too emotional. Never the right fucking way!”

Their breath stutter. They hold the Poke Ball even tighter. “I want to take you with me. I don’t want to be alone anymore. It would be so easy. So f-fucking easy. Everyone does it. No one would find it wrong. It’s just how the world is.” They fall silent. Breathing heavily, tears running down their face and being sucked into the fabric of the sheets. “Easy. Everything bad is always… So fucking easy. Anger. Jealousy. Fear. So damn easy. So damn easy to yell at someone. To give up. To get mad.

“What if the only difference between good and bad people is the path we take? They say heroes aren’t fearless. They fight their fear. They choose the hard path.” They start shaking. “I never did that. I always chose the easy way. Just like my mom did. Just like my dad did. And I can’t judge them for it. Because I know just how tempting it is. If I succumb now… am I the same or worse than them? I just slide your Ball in my bag. Let you out at my home. And there we go.”

Silence crashes into room. “But you see. I just can’t.” Their face break down, melting into pure, unyielding pain. They frown, tears pouring somehow even faster now. “I can’t… I just can’t.” They tighten the grip around the Poke Ball. “Of all the things… I can’t hurt you. A-and… And I know… I know it’s… the right thing to do.” They sniff loudly, whimpering, sobbing and wailing. They close their eyes.

“But… But… It just… It just doesn’t feel _fair!”_ They cry out, then hide their face in the sheets again, a constant whimpering escaping their throat. They are not sobbing anymore. They are crying. Crying all out, like a kid would. Crying so hard that this strange fuzziness takes over their brain. “I d-d… don’t w-w-want to l-leave y-y-you…” They say in between sobs and hiccups. “It hurt s-so… so much.” They yell, their voice muffled into the sheets. Then find themselves breathless, left to pant.

“It just… n-not fair… Not fair… For _you.”_


End file.
